Resident Evil 2: Living Nightmares
by fallen angel overlord
Summary: COMPLETED! Time to finish this...who survives? who dies? what next?
1. I

**Resident Evil 2: Living Nightmares**

_Okay this fic's been on my mind for ages. It's a rewrite of the game with new characters and although much is the same it will chance a little, just wait and see. Anyway review with any thoughts, comments or suggestions! PLEASE!_

**Raccoon City**

**---Umbrella Labs---**

_Alpha-Leader_

Alpha Leader licked his lips under the mask as they approached the doors. The usual security team were gone…they'd been distracted easily by Beta Team. "Nice and easy boys, this point-Dexter won't be a problem" he said.

They entered. Birkin spun and grabbed a gun, the case of G-Virus samples was in his hand. "Don't move Doctor Birkin" exclaimed Alpha Leader. The man was apparently young, he'd been recruited at 16 as a wunderkind and about three years later he'd had a child. He was around 30-32 now. His daughter was 11… she and her mother were hanging around…no trouble. "We're here for the G-Virus"

"You can't take it! It's my life's work!"

"Hand it over doctor" the guns were trained on the armed scientist…he moved and knocked a vial of red liquid to the ground. Bullets blasted through him and knocked him off his feet. He shouted out as the case was torn away.

His consciousness was fading fast as he saw Annette enter. "Oh God! William!" she exclaimed. "Don't worry I'll get you fixed up. You'll be okay!"

She disappeared.

"Bastard'll pay," he slurred as he gripped the inoculators gun that had fallen from the desk he'd crashed into. It was loaded…he pulled the trigger…suddenly his blood ran freezing cold and he took a deep, sharp breath. His eyes burned and he growled.

The Alpha-Team and The Beta Team met up and ran through the sewers…they were heading for their rendezvous point…there was a roar…bullets flew and in ten-minutes they were all dead.

**_Claire_**

Claire Redfield revved up her bike and sped down the streets of Raccoon. She finally came to a stop at a diner…it looked empty but the sign said it was open. Glancing at the large band on her left arm with the watch set in it.

Claire was dressed in a black leather jacket, dark denim jeans, biker boots and a black turtleneck on. She entered the diner and found it quite messy. "Hello?" she called. "Anyone here?" she looked around, turning on the spot…there was rotting food and white streaked teas and coffees all around, things were knocked over and life was scarce…

"Hello?"

The moan was inhuman. Claire spun and stumbled backwards…something had dragged itself from the booth and cut her off from the door. It was human…vaguely. Its skin was rotting away and there was barely anything life-like about it. It stretched up its hands and reached for her. She screamed and grabbed a chair. "Stay back!" she warned. It lurched at her. She smashed down on it and its arm came off too easily. "Oh God" she whispered as it rose and came after her again.

Claire threw the stool at the creature and sprinted for the back door. The alley was darkened but the shapes at the other end were enough…she ran.

**_Leon_**

Leon S Kennedy pulled up. There was something lying in the road ahead…his blood ran cold…it was a human with ravens pecking at its flesh. It was a child…Leon's blood ran cold and he climbed out of the car, walking towards the shape…how could this go unnoticed?

There was a noise behind him. He turned around and stared…a crowd of people were shuffling towards him…moaning and groaning blood trickling from wounds, hands and mouths. Leon felt something grip the leg of his uniform. He spun and shouted out. The small boy on the ground had grabbed his ankle and tried to bite him. Luckily Leon managed to pull back and avoid gnashing teeth to stamp down heavily on the skull. He wretched but swallowed the vomit. Pulling the gun from his belt he fired a warning shot.

The ambling forms were unperturbed and continued their advance. Leon fired…the bullets barely had any affect…a few staggered monsters was all they ignored the wounds. Leon stared…then burst into a run in the opposite direction.

His eyes settled on a small medical clinic. The door was open and it was his only safe bet. He hoped. Out of the darkness lurched a zombie in police uniform. He -it- tried to bite Leon's hand. Instead it found the gun in its mouth and seconds later the back of its head was blown off.

Leon picked up the gun the zombie had had in its holster and entered the clinic. He shut the door and shoved a bench over it. There was a woman torn to shreds on the ground…apparently savaged by animals. Her head was separate from her body now and Leon forced down another well of vomiting as the dead eyes glared up at him. He walked down the hall…silence was all around him…the lights were on and the cold fluorescence made everything more frightening and barren.

He paused as he heard movement in an office…slowly he advanced and kicked open the door. A foot greeted his stomach and he received a savage left hook from someone wearing fingerless gloves.

"Stop I'm human!" he exclaimed as he blocked the woman's next punch. She stopped. She was a petite brunette in a leather jacket and denim jeans. She looked at him and then hugged him.

**_Claire_**

Relief flooded Claire as she heard the human voice; she'd not expected it when she climbed in through the alley window of the clinic. He wasn't going to try and make her into the $1.99 buffet at zombie-mart at least. She needed to hug him to make sure. She pulled away. "Sorry" she said. "I don't know why I did that…relief I guess"

"I get it," whispered Leon. He looked at her. "What are those things?"

"I don't know," admitted Claire. "I just got into town…one lost its arm and kept coming," she murmured. "They're dead and yet…alive. What happened here?"

Leon was a dusty blonde with a reddish tint to his hair. He was dressed in the blues of an RCPD uniform. His blue-green eyes were filled with confusion and despair… he handed her a gun. "Here" he said. "I shot a few but they didn't stay dead. Aim for the head…it's the only way I can think of".

"Thanks…I'm…Claire. Claire Redfield"

"Leon Kennedy" he offered a hand which she shook. "Man, this is my first night on the job…and what a night so far" he grimaced.

"I came looking for my brother…if he's one of those things…I hope I don't find him"

There was a faint clatter nearby. Claire and Leon both jumped. Leon motioned to Claire and the moved towards the door marked Pharmacy. They hugged the wall on either side of the doorframe and kicked in the door. The person inside was dressed in black denim jeans and a black denim jacket. He wore a neck belt and belts on his wrists and a black T-shirt with a white Chinese symbol on it. His white runners made a swoosh noise as he spun on the spot.

His hair was died dark red and he had a messengers satchel against one hip. He shut the satchel and kicked a chair at the door. Leon leapt out of the way…the boy disappeared out a door to one side. Leon rushed after him followed by Claire. A shot rang out and splintered the doorframe.

"Down!" Leon shouted.

Claire obliged and ducked back into the room with him. She paused and picked something up off the ground. There was a crumpled up note. Smoothing it out on her knee she looked over to her new partner.

"Leon…read this," she said.

Leon swiftly accepted the crunched up notepaper and read the crumpled piece. It was like a godsend...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Raccoon City Police Department is the acting safe house_

_All residents are to hurry over for protection from chemical spill_

_Bring only necessities and things you can't part with_

_Donations of food are both needed and advised_

_Water and blankets are also priorities_

_Signed: Officer Marvin Brannagh_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"The Police station?"

"That should be where we go if there are survivors," said Claire as she grabbed a medical kit off a table and stuffed it into her leather backpack. "And armed officers"

Leon nodded. "I know the town well enough to know that the stations a few blocks away" there was a crunch at the front doors and shattering glass. "They're trying to get in!" exclaimed Leon.

"We have to get out of here!" Claire whispered. There was a pounding at the door they'd entered through. Left with no option they raced down the hall the boy had escaped through.

It led to a door. Shoving it open Claire descended the metal steps on the outside of the building with Leon. "Where to now?" Leon looked around. "There" he pointed at a building in the distance. "We can cut through an arcade and basketball court to reach it come on!"

They rushed across the street; the few zombies were too far away and currently feasting on victims and each other to notice them as they rushed into the arcade. A gun shop was lit…

"Ammo" Leon said. "We can take a detour through that shop!"

**_Leon_**

Leon opened the door and he and Claire dived in… there was a click and Leon and Claire turned away from the door slowly to find themselves staring down the barrel of a double barrel shotgun. The owner was a tubby guy in a white vest, dungarees and sweaty hair.

"Don't shoot! We're human!" Claire said.

"What…oh! Thank God!" gasped the man. He rushed over and locked the door. "I thought everyone was one of those zombie things now…" he led them over to the counter. "Damn crazy umbrella bastards"

"What happened here?" Leon asked.

"I don't know, there was a chemical spill at the umbrella plant and then… this" the man said. "I'm Bob Kendo by the way…I own this place…you packin?"

The pair showed him their pistols. He shook his head and pointed at stacked ammo and then a display case. "Police called up all the ammo and stuff, never heard nothing after that. That's what I have left". Leon picked up a shotgun while Claire found a large quiver of crossbow bolts. They put as much ammo as they could find into their pockets and bags.

"The police station's a safe house," Leon said. Bob looked at him. "My guess is they can get help there and use the helipad to get us all off." He loaded the shotgun. "We have to move." Bob nodded and filled a duffel bag with ammo. "Lets go," he said. They headed for the back door…the front window of the exploded inwards.

Leon spun as the zombies crawled in he raised his gun to fire but Claire grabbed his shoulder. "Don't!" she exclaimed. "It'd be a waste of ammo, we should just get out of here!" With a dumb nod Leon pulled open the door and the three of them escaped out into the alley. They rushed down the winding passages and across a basketball court.

Something lurched from the darkness at Claire. She shrieked and shoved it…more came from the darkness, dead basketball players…a ball skittering between their feet, tripping some up.

Bob fired his shotgun and three of the zombies fell away, holes in their chests and all in a line. Claire forced the rusted gate open and hurried up a flight of stairs. Leon and Bob followed, gleeful to find the zombies unable to follow them with their clumsy co-ordination.

"Which way?" Claire asked. Bob pointed to a building with a clock tower. "There" he said. They raced down the opposite staircase and out the alley. They skidded to a halt. "Shit" murmured Bob.

The zombies feasting on one of their own beside the café ignored them as they boarded the bus to reach the other side. A hand gripped Leon's leg…he shouted out as a woman in a prim business suit groaned and kept hold of his ankle from under a seat. Claire shouted and kicked the woman's head off.

"Thanks" Leon murmured.

"No problem" Claire breathed.

"We're nearly there," Bob said. They pressed on out of the bus. A hoard of zombies was at one end of the street, lumbering towards them. Bob sprinted for a gate, he blasted away a zombie and shoved open the gate. "COME ON!" he shouted. Claire and Leon rushed towards him, the hungry groans getting closer. The creatures were almost upon them. Claire blew a hole in the head of one and they dived in…the gate slammed and Bob slid the bolt into place, pulling away from the clawing hands flailing through the bars

**_Sherry_**

Sherry scrambled through the vents. She wasn't hanging around. There were things looking for her and she was unarmed altogether.

**_Leon_**

The hall was fast, an eerie silence hung in the air. "We should get moving" Claire said. "Who knows how long it will take those things to get in." She noted the waiting room. "This way" she said.

"Let's follow whoever has a plan" suggested Leon. They entered the room and looked around. Nothing…Leon's head snapped in one direction as he saw a blur speed past the window. He raised his gun and moved towards the door in the corner.

"Careful" he whispered. Bob nodded and followed closely as they slowly opened the door. The hall was silent and nothing moved in the darkness. Claire, Bob and Leon walked slowly into the darkness. There was a body on the ground without a head…a droplet of blood dripped down into the pool…the next one landed at Claire's feet, then on Leon's hand. Slowly they all looked up.

"Fuck" Bob breathed. They dived backwards as the creature dropped from the ceiling. The sharp claws skittered on the tiles and it lashed its long tongue out. Bob was pretty fast for a tubby guy; he was lucky he'd not been impaled on the tongue. Claire fired her bow at the monster the bolt lodging in the back of its throat piercing the back of its head.

"Holy crap that didn't even come close to killing it!" she shouted. The creature swatted her through a door and she crashed into the briefing room. She groaned and sat up…her eyes fell on the monster in a photo. She picked the image up and then examined the documents attached.

This creature has been stalking the precinct since the siege began. Its razor sharp tongue allows it to decapitate with great ease its targets. Handgun fire has proven ineffective against it. Chief Irons has insisted on keeping all weaponry in a cache of his own so we don't use it up.

Leon's shots stirred Claire. She rushed to the door. The licker turned to glare at her without actually having any eyes…Leon leapt up and put a leg on either side of the lickers body. He pressed the shotgun into the back of the skull and fired. The fragments and tissue of the creatures swollen brain splattered everywhere; it slumped down, twitching, its brain stem slapping the bloody floor.

Leon moved away. Bob shuddered and Claire swallowed her vomit. Slowly they walked down the hall in silence. Claire paused and then handed Leon the memo. "Chief Irons has the weapons, if he's alive then he has the kind of fire power we need to get out of here" she said.

"Hang on" Leon said. Slowly he nudged open a door and stepped into the hall with Bob they aimed their weapons in opposite directions. A zombie lumbered forwards dressed in RCPD uniform. Leon hesitated. Claire fired her handgun three times hitting the zombie in the head each time.

"That was Sergeant Morris," murmured Leon. "He was the one who convinced me to try to become a Police officer." Claire patted his shoulder and nodded. A room with a sign over the door that read FILING caught Bobs eye. "Hey! Look" he hissed. "Maybe there's more stuff in here?"

A series of gunshots rang out from far away. "That's automatic weapon fire!" exclaimed Leon excitedly. "Maybe someone's got the cache?" Claire pushed open the door to the filing room. It was a mess but empty of monsters. Claire's foot kicked a strange key; she kneeled down and picked it up. It was heavy, a big copper one.

"This is all junk" Leon muttered. "Hey hang on" he said. "I take that back… this is about MISSING STARS" Claire was at his side in a blink.

"I remember them," Bob said. "They investigated the accident at Umbrella…big noise about all the people who died there but no one really wanted to talk about it. They headed out a few weeks ago…didn't come back."

"My brother worked for them," Claire said. "Here look" she showed the photo from her wallet to the others, the handsome man was wearing camouflage uniform with the stars logo on it. "I can only hope they're alive…"

_**Claire**_

There were more gunshots. Claire grabbed files marked Umbrella and shoved them into her backpack. "We should go!" Leon exclaimed. Bob nodded and they rushed out of the room and up the stairs. The zombie was half through the glass of the door. A shotgun went off and the monster was blown out of the office door.

"They're everywhere," a woman screamed.

"Marvin! More ammo!" a man shouted

"We're out! Al should have been back with more!" came another male voice.

"The coward probably ran! Where's Irons?" screamed the woman. Claire fired, the other zombie at the door staggered back. Bob blasted away and the creature toppled over.

"Who's out there?" the second man's voice called.

"Humans!" shouted Leon. He approached slowly. "I'm going to open the door!"

Slowly he walked over to the broken glass door and pulled it open. Inside were four people: a man in grey overalls, a woman in a police uniform on and a man with a similar uniform. The fourth person was at a computer typing away; he had long-ish auburn hair and a dishevelled look to his entire appearance. His tie was stained, his white shirt was speckled and his brown trousers were smudged with dirt.

"The rookie…" grimaced the black man in the uniform.

"Leon Kennedy" nodded Leon. "Claire! Bob! It's okay!"

"Marvin Brannagh" the officer said. "This is Sarah Keith, Ben Betrolucci and Jim Penn. We're all that's left of the city…well accept for Al Bernstein, Felicity Rockwell and Chief Irons but we haven't seen them in a while"

"We're low on ammo, out of shotgun rounds," Sarah said as she pushed a strand of dark hair off her face. "And fighting off the, now flesh eating, reinforcements" She shook her head. "We're screwed."

"Don't worry" Bob said as he patted the sports bag. "Plenty of ammo here!"

"We should look for Ms Rockwell and Chief Irons," said Marvin. "They're in his office on the upper floor. We can't stay here and be eaten alive by the Donut Delivery guy."

Claire nodded. She opened the files she'd found and rifled through them. Most were reports and requests stamped Investigation Ended or Denied - she frowned as she read one of them. A particular paragraph was chillingly prominent, highlighted in yellow

"Proof of Human subjects being tested upon without their consent and against the Rules of the Geneva Convention on Human Rights has been obtained concerning the Umbrella Labs in the woods outside of Raccoon city and will surely lead back to the lab in Racoon city"

Claire shuddered - a photo slid from the file. It was a man, his eyes bulging open, his mouth seized open, and flies were crawling on his face as he lay on a gravel background. "A victim of the mysterious virus" read Claire. "What virus?"

"The Umbrella labs said there wasn't anything to worry about" Jim said. "The truth was - there was everything to worry about. There was - an incident - at umbrella's plant. They said it wasn't anything dangerous - then this started"

"There's something...else out there" whispered Sarah. "Different, big. We saw it...it was... it was a real monster" she shuddered. "Beyond the other nightmares - it looked more human...in the eyes, I saw it when it attacked the office - it had human features and its eyes...were intelligent"

Sarah twitched at the memory.

"We have to rescue any remaining survivors" stated Marvin. "And get out, there's a chance we can make it out through the sewers and from there we can get out of the city". Everyone nodded firmly.

_**Joshua**_

"Sherry?" the boy called. "Sherry?"

There was a howl and a zombie dog pounced at him. He rolled aside nimbly and blasted the monster with his Magnums. Rising he holstered them and reached into his back pocket. He took out the pills and crunched one between his teeth to steady the tremors and numb the rising pain.

A zombie ambled towards him. In a stab of motion he kicked its head off its shoulders and let the body collapse. Feeling energized to a state of on-edge-alert he hurried down the hall.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

_Review me, you know you want to. This is just a prelude to the rewrite I know it doesn't look too original right now but gimme a chance I'm working to meld the game and my fic together here!_


	2. II

_**Resident Evil 2: Living Nightmares**_

_Well here's the second chapter, I only got One Review but I don't mind. As I said I'm taking liberties with the layout and plot since it's my Cut of the story. Opinions, questions and reviews are always welcome - actually their needed._

**-II-**

**Joshua**

He'd not been an idiot at any part of his life…or maybe he had – it was a matter of perspective…it always was. He loaded the gun again and blew the top off the zombie woman's head. He was a damn good shot since she was across the hall from him. He moved along the corridor and stopped. There was a body on the floor, he kneeled down beside it.

_Sharp stabs and tears. Lacerations unlike knives or claws. Black feathers… he was pecked to death,_ Joshua thought, _Alfred Hitchcock would be impressed or terrified – possibly both._

As he rose he heard a rapid flapping. "Shit" he moaned and broke into a run, the crows burst through the window, shrieking, flapping and causing havoc around him, they were carnivorous and cannibalistic, when one crow crashed down it was devoured by a comrade or five. The rest flew at Joshua, he fired over his shoulder the urge to run was too great – he sped around the corner andkept running with determination. He threw himself through the door and kicked it shut.

Frantic scratching was coming from the other side but it gave up. Joshua picked himself up and looked around. With grim determination he walked across the heliport. "HEY!" the officer aimed at Joshua then realized that the boy was alive.

The officer was overweight and carrying a heavy rifle. "What are you doing here kid?"

"Same question"

"I'm the one with the rifle" the guard said.

"Fine. I'm looking for the mayors daughter, Felicity"

"She's with the chief, go back the way you came and take the other passage, y'know from the Secretaries door, then take the door on the left hand wall…better get them all out of here…there's a chopper coming!"

"Hn" it was more then a breath out, more then a smirking short laugh…it was a manifesto of how the man was doomed. Joshua had a sense of these things… he could tell when a person was about to die…he had been able to do it all his life…he wasn't able to sleep without heavy sedation because of it.

Because, when he slept the things in the shadows came out to play.

Shaking off the feeling Joshua looked over the officer. "Well Officer…"

"Burgess" was the reply.

"Well officer Burgess, stay safe…I have to do something" he walked down the steps.

"There are zombies all around there!" called the man.

"Aren't there always?" snorted Joshua quietly. He shot the zombie as he walked down the steps…they were slow but numerous, their strength lay in their numbers – they were easy to take apart. He dived between to zombies and let them tear each other apart as he landed in a crouch, he rolled aside from a lurching shape and fired a shot into the zombies head from a low angle and then sprinted towards the caretakers hut. "Police Master Key" he murmured as he examined the rack keys – the zombie rose up behind him…it shuffled forwards.

Joshua spun around, one of his guns slapped off its side, the zombie backhanded him against a wall, the weapons skittered away and Joshua had to grab the zombies wrists and put a foot on it's chest to keep it at bay. "Get…OFF!" he snarled. He was getting annoyed now…there was a squelch and the zombie was flung across the room leaving on arm behind. Joshua stood up and walked forwards. "This should be legitimate therapy" he snapped. He swung down hard, the splat noises of the zombie's body being brutalized by its lost limb. "So. Much. Fun. To. Pummel." Joshua snarled.

He blinked and rubbed the bridge of his nose and then took a valve handle from a hook on the wall as well as the keys, he stuffed them into his pack and picked up his guns. Joshua strode swiftly out into the sticky night air. It was relatively humid – damn – he was hoping it wouldn't be. It was nasty when it was humid. He tucked the keys into his jacket breast pocket and climbed the steps. He'd heard the rotor blades a while ago…now he saw Burgess.

"Over here! Over here!" Burgess was shouting to the pilot. Joshua shuddered. _The Zombies bore down on Burgess, he tried to fire but the woman dragged him down and sank crooked teeth into his throat, filling her mouth with his blood. His bullets razed the air._

"Burgess! BURGESS! LOOK OUT!" Joshua shouted. He was too late. The Zombies bore down on Burgess, he tried to fire but the woman dragged him down and sank crooked teeth into his throat, filling her mouth with his blood. His bullets razed the air. The chopper spun into a tailspin and crashed through a wall, straight onto the zombies. One of them ambled out on fire. Joshua walked past and shot it as an afterthought.

"Damn" he cursed.

**Claire**

"Okay, the problem is that the security locks are down" Marvin explained. "We have to unlock them out in the lobby to gain full access to the entire station". Gunshots rang out from a distance. "We're not the only humans around" he murmured. "We should get the chief and Ms Rockwell as well…he knows this station, he should know where to go to get us out of here".

"That guy always gave me the creeps" Sarah muttered. "He was just - unnerving"

Marvin wrapped a bandage around his injured arm apparently grazed by a knife. "Yeah well he's our best hope for getting away since he knows this place so well"

"Where is the lock control?" Claire asked as she loaded up her pistol.

"Lobby" responded Marvin simply.

"It's through there" elaborated Jim. "Marvin has the key all you need is to unlock the doors and we can move on"

"Do we really want to?" murmured Sarah. "Who knows what else is lurking out there?"

Jim opened the door for them. Claire stepped out and Marvin followed, they moved slowly across the Lobby, watching for overhead dangers as they did. Claire spotted movement and raised her pistol to fire – the boy didn't seem to notice her, instead he ran through a door on the upper, opposite side of the hall. Claire frowned. "And there we have a survivor" she murmured.

Marvin slipped his key into the control box and tapped the keys on the console. Clicks resounded off the eerily silent halls. "And we're in" he breathed.

"And whatever was in is out" Ben muttered as they stepped out into the main hall again… The developing room caught his eye. "I need to develop film" he said.

"Sorry? What of? Your vacation?" Sarah exclaimed.

"No" he snapped. "I need to find out what a guy I knew had…before he was eaten by freaky zombie dogs!" Ben shuddered at the memory and Claire nodded in understanding.

"I'll stay with him" Jim said. "We can meet up at the STARS office, that's easy to find"

"Done" nodded Marvin. "Get in any trouble – shout loud"

"Hope someone hears us then" mumbled Ben.

They split up to go up the stairs or through the dark room door and the first group progressed down the hall slowly listening for undead moans or decrepid shuffles… but all was silent.

Until the scream, shrill and full of fear, bursting from behind a door. The group burst into the hallway. Leon fired first; the shotgun blast blew the zombie away, the little girl ran down the hall. Claire moved quickly – she saw a black shoed foot disappearing through the grate by a door. A locked door. "Wait!" Claire shouted…but either the girl didn't hear her or didn't trust her…

Claire punched the door and looked over her shoulder. Leon looked at her – she walked past him to the STARS office.

**Ben**

Ben examined the shots as they developed. "Okay" he said. "Done – let's go meet the others". Jim nodded as he reloaded his pistol.

"Sure thing – not to say your company isn't sparklin' but – y'know" he shrugged. "I miss the chicks"

"You're not the only one" muttered Ben.

They stepped out onto the stairs…slowly they advanced up the steps, their pistols were primed and ready – but nothing leapt from the shadows at them. They reached the STARS office without any trouble…except for that brought by the silence…the encompassing silence.

**Joshua **

Joshua groaned as he stared at the burning hall, the wreckage was burning, it blocked the door to Irons' office. Thankfully he was able to slip through a crack in the wall that led to the store room. He sneezed – the dusty room was filled with canvas covered objects. Inspection of them revealed sadistic artworks.

A letter rested on a crate. Joshua took it out. He crunched a pill between his teeth as he read what it said:

_To Chief Irons,_

_The $100,000 dollar payment has been expressed in the form you_

_Requested two paintings (The Hell of Woman and Impaled Witch by_

_Dietrich Solheim) purchased by Dr A. Birkin last week (2nd week of_

_August) as payment for your handling of the situation last weak_

_Annette woill be our relay should she be required_

_Dr W. Birkin_

Annette had been like a mother to Joshua…well insofar as a prominent female figure that didn't vanish after a month in the lab could be like a mother. _So…she'd been doing business with Fat'n'Ugly, what about?_

Joshua pushed the note into his breast pocket and buttoned it. He was dressed in grey-black denim that blended into the shadows very well. He was invisible to the sub-part eyesight of the zombies in darkness.

He edge back out the fissured wall and made his way back towards the roof. _If there's another way in there should be some sort of answer on the roof where the crash happened. _

He pushed open a mesh grate marked Water Pressure control. An idea formed in his head – he remembered a prank a few weeks ago he'd planned to do it to really get Irons in a state…he locked the handle into place and started to turn it hissed and the water tank overhead moaned, it had serious stress issues as Joshua recalled.

One more turn and the water erupted – a waterfall splashed down onto the wreckage dousing the flames – the hiss rose up and the smell of melted rubber, scorched flesh and burned metal swept through the breeze. Joshua walked over to the chopper and looked around. It was heavily burned but there was one patch that haddn't been burned or shot. An ID tag hung from the roof, it was a little worse for the wear but it was legible enough.

"A pilot from Umbrella?" Joshua murmured. "Who sent him?" he checked the information – there was an address for place of work on the tag. The library would be able to tell him more about that…

**Claire **

The medical bag was on a desk in the corner, Claire was grateful to whoever left it. She pulled it on over one shoulder and looked at the others. Some ammo had been left around and Leon had found a shotgun and grenade launcher in a steel cupboard. Now he was examining a desk.

"Find anything?" Claire called. The dusty-blonde head jolted up and he dropped the book he was holding. "What?"

Leon handed her the diary. "The name inside is Chris Redfield" he said quietly.

Claire blinked for a few moments and then nodded.

"You need space?" Marvin asked.

"For a moment or two…yes" Claire nodded – she had an overwhelming sense of dread in relation to the diary unless it could tell her where Chris was. She leafed through the notes he had left.

_July 4th_

_Joshua West has really put his neck out this time – Irons is fuming over the new_

_prank with the creamed corn and his car – well it really smelt nasty. Wesker was_

_impressed though and everyone felt it was what the pervert deserved. He was_

_feeling up Rebecca until Wesker wrenched him off before I did – she didn't file_

_a case though, no one would even look at it. I think I'll investigate the chief_

_a little on my own…_

Claire leafed through again to the last entries in the book. She read and reread them and breathed out a sigh of relief. Her brother was out of the city…but Umbrella Corp was obviously not to be taken lightly…

_Forgive me Claire…what did you do Chris? I could forgive you anything!_ She shut the book and tucked it into the satchel on her hip along with the medical files.

"Hey! Fax!" Sarah said, the machine near the door was whirring away and Sarah plucked the end product from the tray. "It's for Chris Redfield. Re: Brian Irons…oh…oh God" she paled as she red the notes. Everyone moved in, reading the script.

Claire shuddered. If the allegations of assault, brutality, animal torture and general sadism were true (never mind the rape accusations) this man was Hannibal Lector on the wrong side of the glass!

"The Mayors daughter is with him" whispered Marvin. "Felicity Rockford…he could… she's a petite girl she couldn't…he'd be stronger"

"Then we have to hurry and get to him" Leon said. "I don't want to believe this… but it looks like I have to…expect the worst of Chief Irons"

"The man always seemed a little off" Jim said. He and Ben had joined them, they explained what Ben's film had revealed. The outbreak of the virus had begun on the outskirts and worked its way in primarily around the waste disposal region of the city. With a shudder Ben held out the photo proof.

"That little girl is trapped out there" Claire said. "Let's try and find her"

"I found the key" Ben said with a smile. "On the desk up there…it's a master key"

"Hallelujah" sighed Sarah. She paused and looked at the key. "No its not…it's a semi-master key it opens certain doors…we can only hope it'll open that one. Irons has the only Master Key I know of!"

Ben looked crestfallen that his assumption had been incorrect but they left the office and headed for the door. The key clicked in the lock and the door opened. The zombies lurched out. Leon hit one aside with his elbow and then shot it as it fell. Marvin was slammed off a wall by a burly one but Sarah shot it four times in the head. Jim fired both barrels of a shotgun into three close-standing zombies.

Ben fired off his pistol into the zombies torso then kicked it over. He stomped on its head – the skull shattered like an egg spilling useless brains out. Claire impaled two zomies through the face with arrows from her bow gun – the arrows were effective, the force knocked the weakened necks back and cause heads to fall off or severed the head from the spine decapitating them without tearing the neck tissues.

Finally the things lay dead.

"That was close" Leon murmured.

Marvin groaned, he'd hit the doorpost pretty hard, there was blood in his hair – they helped him up and brought him towards the nearby door to the library. "Hang on" Claire exclaimed as she pulled some green herbs from a bot nearby. "These are handy" she said. "They help stem bleeding and aid the healing process."

"Witchdoctoring?" Ben smirked.

"Night courses in Organic Medecines. These are rare plants that became popular for garden boxes and started to spread in the early 80's. Now they're everywhere –good thing too some variations are fast acting poison cures" she added.

_Jerk_

Ben shrugged and held the door open to the library. They entered the room and the creaky wood shrieked under foot. There was movement. Jim wheeled around and fired. The boy dived forwards into a roll as one of the upper level book shelves exploded. He pivoted and fired with both guns forcing the survivors to duck for cover as he made good his escape over the banisters onto a bookshelf, he dropped down to the floor and slammed the door onto the second floor passage behind him.

"Well there you have it – a survivor – with guns" Ben muttered.

"Come on let's lie Marvin down and treat his wounds" Claire said as she opened the medicine satchel and took out some bandages. She found the injury, a relatively small but bloody gash, and tended it, she put the herbs she'd collected into a small pestle and mortar the medic had carried (she'd had foresight though it was flecked with pink) she dabbed disinfectant on the cut and then added the herbs. Marvin sighed in relief as she applied the bandage and tidied her kit up. "Those herbs work" Marvin said.

Claire smiled proudly and looked around for anyone else needing medical attention.

"Things are looking up" Jim said. "We're doing okay-"

The lights flickered and dimmed. "What was that?" the blackness coated them all.

"Power's out" Sarah sighed.

"The old auxiliary should kick in soon-there it is" Bob nodded with a gruff voice. "But that cuts power to the control doors, security system…we're losing whatever defence this place had…we need to turn it back on"

"Marvin needs to relax before doing anything else" Claire stated.

"Agreed" Bob nodded. "We should get him to somewhere with less places for zombies to get in…"

"Clock tower?" Marvin suggested.

"Nah, no escape readily available" Bob dismissed.

"The chief's secretarial office?" Sarah supplied.

"Yeah…that'll do it's close by and we can get to the roof by the hallway" Bob said. "Man, this is more complicated then Nam."

They followed Jim and Sarah out onto the balcony around the lobby. Leon stopped at an emergency ladder. "Which way is it to the basement?" he asked.

"Not far" Jim said. "Why?"

Leon pushed the down button on the control box and the ladder descended. "If I go down this way I can cut the journey back in half – all I need is directions"

_He is NOT going alone_.

Jim nodded. "I'll take you, we need the power turned on, we have to go – there's no alternative if the security doors and windows are unlocked the zombies might get in and overwhelm us totally."

"I'm going too" Claire declared. "Me, Leon and Jim will meet you back in the office"

"Okay" Sarah opened the small bag she had on her back. She handed them a radio. "Keep in contact in case something comes up." There was a nervous tone in her voice.

"We'll be with Marvin" Bob said. "Once he's up and running we meet up and get moving"

Leon was already on the ladder. "We'd better hurry"

They climbed down and the door shut across the hall as the others found their hiding place.

**Sherry**

Sherry hid in the darkness. She heard her daddy's voice but she was too afraid to call out, her throat felt tight. The 12 year old clutched the locket tightly to her chest and shivered.

**Joshua**

There was a chopper overhead. Joshua cocked his head to one side and listened. The guy who'd shot at him had forced him back to the Bird Corridor…he was about to head for the wreckage and try climb over or through it…

Something crashed down. The building shook and Joshua instinctively pulled away from the door as debris crashed down, blocking it. There was a hydraulic hiss from down the corridor…then a booming footstep.

Joshua checked his pistols and advanced slowly. He could feel his heart go into a drummer solo. The fist smashed through the wall, it grabbed at Joshua's hair but he pulled away. The massive grey fist clenched a few times and then pulled through the rest of the plaster on the wall. The giant rounded the corner.

"You are a very big boy" Joshua murmured. "Hey – you wouldn't be interested in running for the governor of California would'ya?"

The response was a punch to the chest. Joshua had always been a tough boy – the punch would have done a lot of damage to anyone weaker – but it just hurled him down the hall to skid to a halt.

There were splinters in his palms but Joshua ignored them. One of his guns was missing – he spotted it near some debris. Joshua caught his breath and fired at the monster, it stumbled back and gave no sound. Joshua dived for his gun as the monster approached. He fired both weapons again and rolled aside as it stomped down.

"Geez! What freaking vitamins do you use?"

The hand grabbed him by the head and slammed him into a wall.

"Beef---steroids are not…for hum-yum-human consumption" murmured Joshua. He was hoisted up again. Then he swung both arms up and plugged his pistols fully into the monsters chest, neck and head. It groaned and fell to its knees, Joshua scrambled away as it collapsed to its knees. He took a deep breath and leaned against a wall. He gingerly stepped over the monster and headed for the door.

There was movement behind him. He turned around – the hand swung at him from the side – his body hit the window and he fell through in a hail of glass with a cry. The descent was swift. He crashed down in a dumpster.

Mr X glared at the window then turned and punched open the door to the roof. More debris crashed down behind it sealing it even more so then before.

**Leon**

The trio nudged the door open. Three zombies were eating a woman. They didn't see or hear the armed survivors but the gunfight was short. Edging down the hall Jim pointed to a set of double doors. Claire and Leon nodded, they burst through the doors and opened fire. The bolts knocked some zombies over and prevented them getting up easily. Leon fired his shotgun off and Jim unloaded his magnum.

Claire shut her bowgun down to its compact size and clipped it to her hip. She pulled out her pistol. She finished off a zombie and they looked around.

"Detective office" said Leon as he entered a small office space in the corner. "There's a locked safe"

"The code's 4464" Jim called. The radio crackled. "Yeah?" he answered.

"Uh – bad news guys" Marvin's voice said. "The passage to the chief's office is blocked by chopper wreckage – there was a fire at some point but it's out now…looks like the water tower burst. Problem is nothing short of blasting will get rid of it – and we're low on Semtex. It's also the only hall we can use that I know of"

"Then we're screwed" Claire muttered.

Leon smiled as he read the memo he held. "Not quite listen to this…"

**Confistcated materials from an individual of unknown origin**

**C4 plastique explosive**

**Detonator**

**Rifle scope**

**Sniper Rifle**

**Electric Torch (x2)**

**Military rations (4 cannisters)**

**Damaged binoculars**

"Ah but where are they?" Claire asked as she viewed some documents.

"The jail cells, where all the contraband and confiscated stuff gets shoved" Jim answered. "We can get that stuff when we drop down to the generator" he grinned and gave a thumbs up. "Marvin – we may have an answer…see you soon"

"Gods speed" Marvin sighed. "Out."

Leon held up the things he'd recovered from the safe. Some grenades, a map of the building and some clips of ammunition. "This is helpful" he said.

"Come on" Jim nodded. "We'd better hurry, the sooner we get the stuff the sooner we can escape this hell hole".

He opened the door, stepping over a decapitated body and pulling the locks back. They descended into the passage and made their way towards the large doors at the end of the hall. There was stiff silence here…only their breathing gave them peace of mind for a while. They entered the car park, cars that would never be driven…a large prison van was parked close to a wall and the barricade was partially closed.

"We could drive out?" Jim suggested.

_Right into zombies and what could safely carry us all?_

"No, there are zombies all around the precinct – we'd be suicidal to even try that they could overwhelm the car or truck. Besides the gate controls are fried" Leon pointed at the shattered box by the gate. They walked towards the van.

A shot rang out.

They whirled around – standing before them was a pretty Chinese woman in a tight red top and black pants with dark boots. Her black hair was short and well kept and she had a black jacket with fur lining on the collar. She looked them over.

"Who are you?" Claire asked.

"Who are you?" the woman replied.

"Jim Penn, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield" Jim said as he indicated them each in turn.

"Ada Wong… I was sure I was going to have to get through this alone" she murmured. "Are there any other survivors?"

"Three others" Leon piped up. _She's…pretty_ his brain stated helpfully. "Anyone you know of?" Ada lowered her gun and walked towards them.

"I saw a teenage boy with guns running about outside earlier – there was a little girl and I'm pretty sure I heard a man and a woman a in another part of the building when I was exploring…but I'm only looking for one person"

"Who?" Claire asked slowly.

"My boyfriend John, he was a technician for Umbrealla's mansion lab – he disappeared – I'm here trying to find someone who was talking to him…Ben Betrolucci a reporter."

"He's safe" Jim said. "We can take you to him if you like." He looked her over with an appreciative look in his eyes. _God, this is not a time for ogling her_.

"Well that's very kind, I accept, thank you" Ada said. "Why are you down here?"

"We're trying to start the power back up" Leon said.

"But it looks like we have to move that damn prison van" sighed Jim. "Any chance you can help?" Ada nodded. They checked the Handbrake and took it off, then shoved the van as hard as they could to reveal a steel door.

"Let's go" Ada said. They pulled open the doors and descended into the dark sublevels of the hellish police station…

* * *

_TBC: In the next chapter – Joshua has a few civil words with the crew, Irons says hello, taxidermy is discussed, Mr X insists he won't die, there is shooting, blood and quippery – hope you enjoy this feedback is my lifeblood._

**Ciao.**

**A/N: I understand that I am taking liberties with the lay out and costumes but if I didn't you'd know what to expect. I'm altering it a tiny bit in the plot…sorry.**


	3. III

_**Resident Evil: Living Nightmares**_

**Joshua**

Joshua sat up and cried out, staring straight up at the sky. He took a few deep breaths then picked up his pistols lying in the trash. He climbed out and walked towards the doors. They were unlocked, he entered and moved down the hall. There was something nearby – he could sense it.

The Licker dropped from the ceiling and lashed out with it's tongue. Joshua threw himself aside just in time to avoid the razor sharp muscle. He fired at the Lickers exposed brain, then dodged again, the Lickers tackle missed and it bashed into the wall. Joshua got close, pressed the gun to the back of its neck and fired.

He pulled away as the brain tissue and bone fragments splattered out around the wound – the Licker thrashed and hissed before flopping to the ground. Dead. The pool of brain tissue and blood spread out and the tongue it had used to kill twitched briefly.

"Die" muttered Joshua. "You freaky scum". He paused…he could hear footsteps…he ducked into the morgue – someone ran past the doors then stopped and walked over. The person was about to enter the dark morgue! Joshua ducked into the corner…the person entered, took something from a desk drawer and left.

Joshua suddenly didn't feel so alone anymore. There was a moaning noise. With a shudder Joshua turned on the light, zombies were crawling from the storage slots in the wall. He checked his guns. "So – it's going to be one of those days out" he fired.

**Leon**

Ada and Claire took point. They held their pistols at the ready…the progression down the hall was slow and arduous but if they rushed they could die. The shots rang out. Leon flinched and looked around.

"Down the hall" Ada said. "Come on! It might be a survivor!" they broke into a run towards the morgue. Leon shivered with the irony. They slammed the doors open and fired at the zombies swarming about the teenage boy. He was the one from the clinic, dressed in dark denim and carrying two magnum pistols.

"Ah the cavalry" Joshua said. "Get to it point gun, pull trigger, kill the undead – oh look it's my history teacher" the two shots extra did not go unnoticed. Leon fired with his pistol then reached for his shotgun and finished the last one off.

"That was nice" the boy sighed as he walked towards the door. Jim caught they boys arm.

"Not so fast kid…" Joshua grabbed the officer's arm, twisted and flipped him over.

"I have important things to do pal, don't get in my way" he looked at Leon, Claire and Ada. "That goes for all of you. But to say thanks for helping me out here - " he tossed a key to Leon. "That's for the Press Room, you want to know what happened? The answers are there" and then he was gone.

"He's fast" Jim said, regarding the empty hall with a curious eye.

"He's a survivor" Ada muttered. "The armoury is near here – I have a key to it"

"We'll need the power back on" Jim said. "Then we can stock up, come on" they headed down the hall to the generator. Leon examined the fuses and frowned. "That's strange – it looks like someone put a defective fuse in" he murmured. "Dad owned a hardware shop I've seen fuses like this…definitely not a surprise it burned out."

"But was it purposeful?" Claire asked.

Jim had already found a toolbox and spare fuses he set about repairing the generator as the others stood guard. Leon looked over at Ada. She raised an eyebrow and he turned away. "Okay" Jim called, he pulled a few lever. "Done!"

The power clunked on, lights flicked up, shutters sealed and door locks became operational again. "Now – that key can get us some answers" Ada said. "The press room – I know where that is…we should go and find the information there"

Leon nodded. "Agreed, it could help us survive".

**Sherry**

She'd had to leave the Dark Room, someone had come in, a woman – now she was crawling through an airvent, looking for a new hiding place.

**Claire**

The Armoury door slid open as Ada swiped the card through it. "An officer I met gave it to me, he was overwhelmed by zombies on the street soon after, I managed to escape but they got to him" she didn't sound remorseful and Claire couldn't help but feel the woman was untrustworthy.

The armoury had been raided but there were things to take. A submachine gun, some satchels, magnum, shotgun, revolver, laser sights, ammo and backpacks. "Okay, let's do this" Jim grinned. "We can take the other staircase up to the Press room"

"While we're down here we could go to the Jail cells, that C4 they quarantined could clear the wreckage" Leon said.

"You and Ada go to the jail cells, I'll go with Jim to the press room, we'll meet back here in 20 minutes. If that becomes impossible then we do our best to make our way back to the secretary office the others are in" Claire suggested.

"Okay" Leon said. "Claire…be careful"

Claire nodded and smiled. She checked her gun and gave her Bow Gun to Jim since his pistol was out of rounds. They climbed the steps to the wing with the Press room near it. There were footsteps, fast and light – Claire rushed up the steps. The little girl was there, she was 12, hardly little, dressed in a grey sweater and jeans with white tennis shoes on her feet. Her blonde hair was tied back by a hairband and a large locket hung around her neck.

"Wait!" Claire exclaimed. But the lithe little girl had already slipped under a broken door. Jim pressed the button to shut the window shutters in the dank brown hall. Claire was already trying to bash down the door when Jim rushed over, and slammed his shoulder into it. "Little Girl?" Claire called. The girl was gone.

"We'll find her again" Jim reassured

"What if we're too late by then?" murmured Claire.

Jim shuddered and took the key from his pocket, he walked over to the Pressroom door, he turned the key and opened the door. The room was a mess – papers and camera's were scattered all around… "The kid expected us to find ANYTHING here?" muttered Jim.

Claire shrugged and examined the papers…she found a laptop. "Here" she said. "This laptop is still functional!" she tapped the keys. "Gimme a few minutes here…and… presto! Hacked in"

"How did you-"

"Oh Computer classes" shrugged Claire. "Look, it's research – a reporter was getting information from a B.V. Apparently he or she was with STARS – and this explains a lot. We have to get back to the others" she picked up a disk from the desk where a bad of things had spilled out. She saved the files to the disk and then closed the laptop and put it into her pack.

There was a thunderous stomp. Claire paused. "What was that?" she murmured. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end.

"I don't know" whispered Jim. The wall behind the desk shattered. The trench coated man stepped in – blank white eyes surveyed the room. He walked towards Claire and Jim. Jim fired his bowgun as Claire fired her handgun. The monster flinched but took a swing at them. Jim hit the wall with a thud but managed to fire a bolt into the thing's face. It groaned and fell back. Claire grabbed Jim's hand and pulled him out the door, taking the bow gun to fire at the monster again and keep it off balance.

"There's too much shit in this place" Jim exclaimed. They ran down the dark hall…Jim cried out and he was wrenched from Claire's grasp. Claire turned around and screamed – Jim was caught by flailing arms in a window, nails slashed his face and arms as they pulled the portly 40 year old out the window – Jim screamed and flailed…then was gone. Claire gasped and ran down the stairs, tears in her eyes as Jim's screams echoed through her mind – there had been a splatter of blood when he'd been dragged backwards – and the inhuman moans had drowned his cries out – he was dead.

Claire leaned back against a wall and gasped in sorrow.

**Leon**

Ada and Leon progressed down the hall as Claire and Jim made their way upstairs. Leon stopped at the sliding door marked Cells. Ada gave a nod and he pulled the door open for her. She raised her magnum to shoot – but there was nothing there. They approached the cabinet and opened it. The jail cells were empty, doors open but blood splatters indicated the prisoners had met the same fate as the other city inhabitants.

Ada handed Chris the rifle and scope then tucked the C4 and detonator into the knapsack in the locker. "We'd better head back to the others" Chris said quietly. Ada looked up at him and nodded – she had cold eyes…

Leon checked the binoculars, they were beyond use, then handed Ada an electric torch.

"So you're looking for your boyfriend?"

"Yes, John. He was at the mansion in the forest when he disappeared. There was an outbreak I think…I haven't heard from him since – then my agency got a call from a newspaper asking to find Ben Betrolucci… I recognised the name from some notes John had made. Ben was "nosing" around the mansion perimeter and sent packing. So I came down – hoping he knew something" she picked up a crowbar. "This could be handy."

"What else do you know?" Leon asked.

"Not much, I arrived here a day ago, the whole incident was in full swing so I figured Ben would hide where anyone else would…here in the police station. I came after him…and here we are". Leon rooted around the cabinet and pulled a sewer key out.

"We should meet up with the others now" Leon decided.

"Agreed" Ada nodded stiffly. They moved back down the corridor from the prison cells towards the morgue corridor. Leon felt so on edge – he never expected to feel this… worried…first day on the job and hell ahead.

They climbed the steps…Claire was in tears as she came down the hall.

Alone.

"Jim?"

"Dead" she said, wiping her eyes and steadying himself. "The – zombies got him…dragged him away…I saw blood…I don't think he survived or at least not as a human" she shuddered.

They moved on in silence.

Jim was dead. One of their number was lost…there was no doubt more would die. But who would be next? There thoughts were shattered by a cry. Leon moved first, he handed Claire the sniper rifle as he brandished his shotgun and rushed up the steps. The Licker's tongue lashed out and sent Joshua sprawling across the floor. He reaced for his pistol but the creatures tongue snared his throat.

It was able to hear him breathe.

Leon fired into the air, the monster turned and released Joshua. It hadn't been that interested in Joshua anyway. He seemed unappetising. The warm body with the footsteps it could really sense…that was for it. The Licker lunged. The barrels of the shotgun blazed and its head popped open, blood and brain splattered around as the skull split like an opening flower.

Joshua sat up and took his pistols. "Right…that was inconvenient" he picked up the diary in the bunk room and leafed through it, as he tried to walk past the women at the door (and Leon but he was cleaning his gun off) they stood into his path. "Thanks for that assist but I have to go"

"No" Claire said. "It's too dangerous for anyone to be running around alone"

"Yeah well I have people to find and things to make dead" he paused. "Okay – dead**_er_**".

"Come on" Ada said with a snort. "If you want to save anyone you know you'll need us, we're a group of well armed people, you need us"

"At least let us bandage that cut on your hand" Claire said. Joshua tugged his coat sleeve down over his hand. "Besides we're clearing a way out of here, if you want to help anyone you'll need to know where to go"

"Okay" Joshua muttered. In silence he followed them back into the lobby and up the ladder to the secrtary room. "Marvin" Joshua nodded.

"You" groaned Marvin.

"Ah – you two are acquainted then – that's nice" smiled Sarah. "So who are you kid?"

"Joshua West" he responded. "Most police officer have seen me around – I tend to cause a bit of trouble now and again…I'm a ward of Umbrella Inc". There was a total blank silence in the room. "What?"

"Uh – didn't know they cared" Bob muttered.

"Where's Jim? Who's she?" Sarah asked.

Claire looked away. "This is Ada Wong" she said after a few moments. "She's looking for Ben and her boyfriend John…"

"I see" Ben said. There was more silence. Claire left the room to plant the C4 with Leon. Ada walked over to Ben as Sarah and Marvin examined the wound on Joshua's hand. He explained he'd had a meeting with a window and a steep fall.

"I amn't telling you anything" Ben snapped.

"I just want to know if you-"

"No I don't know anyone called John" he sighed. "The Birkin's were bribing Chief Irons, that was my angle, he spent weekends up in the old Spencer place regularly."

"Yes they paid him in fucked up art" Joshua said as Sarah used a Health Spray on his wound. "Seriously warped stuff. Annette would buy it since William didn't leave the lab too often. Then she'd pass it on to Irons with the bank numbers written on the back for him to access a disposable account with that months payments". Everyone stared at Joshua. "What? I heard them talking, I lived in the lab".

Claire and Leon returned. "Okay. Cover your ears" Leon said. Everyone hunched over as the explosion shook the building. The renewed lights flickered before setting back to normal. "That's us cleared".

"Now we can get to that sick rapist Irons" Sarah said.

"WHAT!" Joshua grabbed her wrist with surprising strength. "What did you say?"

"Uh…Irons he's…got off allegations of sexual assault in college because there was no real evidence to convict".

"Shit…Liss!" Joshua cursed. "No. No! She – she's with him…DAMN IT!" He kicked a trashcan across the room and intot he door. "What are we waiting for?" He brandished his pistols as he ran into the hallway. The wall was demolished and the floor was splintered but it provided a route to the once blocked door.

Claire loaded handed Sarah the Bow gun and checked her weapons. She had the grenade launcher, the sniper rifle and her pistol. Marvin was armed with an assault rifle. Ben had a magnum. Leon was wielding his pistol, a shotgun and a submachine gun from the store. Sarah had a bow gun and a pistol and Ada was wielding a magnum.

Joshua gave a shout as the wood under his feet splintered, he crashed down onto the floor below. "You okay?" Claire called.

"Fine, I'm in an office…I know the way out…I'll catch up – don't worry about me" Joshua called as he pulled a splinter out of his leg and headed out of sight.

"Hey hang on!" Leon shouted. But Joshua either couldn't hear or wasn't listening. Claire and the others nimbly hopped over the hole in the floor. "Wait" Claire said as Sarah, Marvin, Ada and Bob tried to join her Leon and Ben. "We'd better go slow… we'll scout ahead, you guys wait for Joshua to meet up with us"

"Okay" Ada nodded.

"Be careful girlie" warned Bob.

"Don't start with me" muttered Claire.

**Claire**

As they approached the office Claire braced herself. She pushed open the door, Ben and Leon stood ready to shoot…Chief Irons merely looked at her. "So beautiful isn't she?" he sighed. "Perfect skin, well kept hair and nails, beautiful eyes…athletic…such a pity – a waste…" the girl in the white dress had a blood splatter on her chest. "A zombie attack, I was too late to save her".

Claire felt her throat close up…that looked like a bullet hole. "I see…what happens now?" she asked slowly.

"I must shoot her in the head or decapitate her…the only ways to prevent her transformation into a zombie within the hour - without burning her body that is" he looked up at her with his beady eyes. "Who are you?"

"Claire Redfield…I came to find my brother. My friends are Leon Kennedy a rookie cop who just arrived here and Ben Betrollucci-"

"An insurance sales man" Ben said. Claire didn't look at him. He was a reporter and he was reporting on an armed psychopath. Naturally telling the man what he was after was not the best idea.

"I would like some alone time please…I need to do this deed alone"

Suppressing sickening thoughts and the taste of bile Claire nodded and headed for a door in the corner of the room. "That guy is sick" she whispered as they headed down the hall. A door marked "Fire Escape" was chained shut…that left a dark room. Quietly they entered the room.

"Ben hit the lights" whispered Claire. Ben did so. The small girl tried to race past Leon but Claire caught her as she did. "It's okay! It's okay!" the struggling 11/12 year old stopped, looked at Claire and burst into tears. "Hey, You're okay now…"

"I – I was chased here" she whimpered. "A monster is chasing me and my Daddy is in the building but every time I hear his voice it's far away…"

"Okay, what's your name?" Ben asked as soothingly as he seemed able.

"It's Sherry – Sherry Birkin" she murmured. "I'm 12"

"Birkin. Those were the scientists doing business with Irons" exclaimed Leon. The girl shifted uneasily.

"I didn't like that man - Mom never let me talk to him but…I saw him once – he was creepy. Dad and Mom kept me away from him" Claire nodded – knowing exactly why. "So have you seen my brother?"

"Hm?" Claire asked.

"His name's Joshua and he's looking for his friend Felicity…have you seen either of them?" she asked.

"Joshua's okay" Leon said. "Come on we'll go and find him". He kneeled down beside Claire and whispered into her ear. "I'll make sure the chief is done" he whispered.

Claire nodded and took Sherry's hand. They walked towards the end of the hall. The fire escape burst open. Mr X stomped in. "YOU!" Claire shouted. The monster turned around. Ben and Claire opened fire. Claire loaded her grenade launcher, thankful she'd not left it with the others as she had before. The rounds pounded into the monster, knocking it off balance as Ben pushed Sherry back and fired with his pistol. The creature crashed down.

Claire looked at Ben. "Come on…we have to get out of here" nodding Ben followed her to where they found Leon.

"What was the shooting about?" he exclaimed.

"This muscle bound freak…I saw it before…it attacked…we killed it" she shuddered. "Where's Irons?" she stepped intot he office and looked around. Aside from a splatter of blood on the paperwork piled on the desk where the body had been the Chief was gone.

"I came back and he'd vanished…" his radio crackled. "Yeah? Marvin?"

"Yeah, Joshua's coming your way he just hopped the gap"

The door burst open. "Liss?" Joshua was wide eyed and worried. "Felicity?"

"Joshua?" Sherry ran and hugged her "brother" he hugged her back. "I'm so glad you're alive! I thought something got you…"

"Nah I'm too tough for them to eat – be like chewing an old boot" he said quietly. Then he looked at Leon and Claire. "Where's Liss? Felicity the mayors daughter…"

Leon took a deep breath. "She's dead…I'm sorry-"

Joshua nodded and wiped a hand down his face. "I thought as much…" he whispered hoarsely. "But at least Sherry is safe." He rose and walked over to the desk, forcing his eyes away from the blood splatter. Claire watched as he fought back the urge to scream and shout. "I was always a troublemaker – they thought that was why I said all that stuff about the chief. I just felt there was something WRONG with him…"

Sherry took his hand…then she stopped and kneeled down. Under the big leather chair was a small blue book. "It's a diary" she said as she opened it and inspected the tag inside. "His. Chief Irons' diary."

"May I?" Claire asked. Sherry handed the diary to Claire who opened it out.

**Those fools…Umbrella have ruined EVERYTHING. I did what they asked, I covered up the deaths and this is what they do they have destroyed MY town. It was my artwork and they defiled it. I'll make them suffer! Make them PAY!**

Claire skipped ahead to the next page. Another paragraph caught her attention

**The siege has truly begun, thankfully all the survivors are here I can deal with them all here. That little brat Joshua West can really suffer knowing his girlfriend is in my "care". I'm taking care of my city if I can't rule the roost no one should. This is the end, I'll see to it NO ONE gets out alive**.

Claire continued reading and stopped with a shiver at the next paragraph on the page after.

**It's done. They'll be massacred. Blood will be everywhere – the throats will be bitten out by friends, family and neighbours. I've sabotaged the power, it should give out soon. The shutters will give, the doors with locks will stop working properly…It seems Felicity has escaped, she claims to have seen Joshua enter the building – I tried to "persuade" her to sit down and be quiet…perhaps pose for me…she ran away. I'll go looking for her now…and then we shall see if she can be my artwork…**

Claire shut the book. Leon had been reading over her shoulder. Claire looked into his eyes and he just shook his head. Claire took the radio from Leon. "Marvin? Do you copy? Over."

"I copy, here Claire. Over" Marvin replied.

"You guys can come through…we've hit a hitch but we need to regroup, look for a way out…have you seen Irons? Over."

"Isn't he in the office? Over"

"No. Over."

"Hunh…I wonder…okay we'll be with you now. Over"

Claire put the radio on her belt and checked the sniper rifle. Sherry was looking at the strange Mexican tablet on the wall – her head cocked to one side. The door opened and Marvin entered with Sarah, Bob and Ada. "Rumour has it that the Chief built some sort of secret passage – claimed it was renovations and all that jazz" he touched the engraving and pushed it over. Behind it was a switch in a recess in the wall. Marvin pulled it down and the wall slid away to reveal an elevator with a folding metal cage door.

"How very _Dinner Theatre Murder Mystery_" muttered Joshua.

"I wonder where it leads" Ada said.

"Wherever it leads might be a way out" Sarah said. "We have to go and see what's happening down there". She checked her bow gun. "So lets go"

Bob shook his head as he pulled the mesh away. "No can do, three people max in here" he sighed. "It's a small one…I'll go"

"So will I" Joshua said. He looked at Marvin as he tried to protest. "Don't fucking tell me I can't, if that scum killed Felicity I'll deal with him whatever way is for the best okay? I can be fucking rational about this or go psycho"

Claire put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm going too, three people, we'll handle this well, play it by ear right?" Joshua grumbled some curses but nodded.

They stepped in and shut the mesh. "We'll all go down in turns…okay?" Claire said.

"Yeah" Sarah smiled. "We're okay here, see you in a few"

The elevator descended for what seemed like a century…finally the doors opened they stepped out into the dark stone corridor.

A gun clicked. "Nobody move" a breathless voice hissed. "Just – move slowly…walk this way and down the hall." Joshua flinched and Claire shuddered – it was Bryan Irons. He was holding a machine gun and was flecked with blood, his sleeves were touched by crimson stains and all in all he looked totally insane.

"Drop the weapons…slowly…now kick them away" with a small armoury at his feet Irons gestured with the gun for them to walk down the hall. He kept the gun trained on them and moved along behind them. "I've been looking forward to having some new subjects…" he giggled.

Claire swallowed deeply.

She felt nauscious.

TBC

_**The Intricacies of Mr Joshua West**_

**Name:** Joshua Michael West

**Age:** 16

**Hair/Eyes:** Brown-Black/ Blue

**Story:** Joshua is an orphan, he has only been told that scientists for Umbrella parented him and nothing more. He was given the last name West because he was born in the West Wing of the Rockford IslandLab before being transferred with Annette Birkin to the Racoon City Lab where her husband worked. He grew up being raised by the Birkin's primarily and was schooled in the lab. Exceptionally perceptive and intelligent Joshua took all the lessons in like a siphon. However he soon rebelled due to a lack of people his own age.

Joshua was diagnosed with a nervous system malformation and has been on medicine all his life for this painful condition. Joshua has looked after Sherry but because of the way he was raised and treated in the research centre he has a slightly violent edge and lacks respect for most people. If he's pushed far enough he might lose his temper and that's something even Umbrella never wanted.


	4. IV

**_Resident Evil 2: Living Nightmares_**

**+Claire+**

Claire, Joshua and Bob entered the room at Irons' command. Claire could see Joshua's lithe frame shivering with rage...when they stepped inside the chamber Claire felt the taste of bile rise in her throat. Blood caked the utensils and tables; the floor was just as grimy.

The smell of death hung in the air. Claire knew that this was no mere room. It was a dungeon, a torture chamber with memories of death and pain in the grim, deep shadows that lurked in the corners. Irons shoved the barrel of his pistol into her back; she stumbled forwards and grunted as opposed to swinging around and lashing a kick into his groin.

"I'm surprised you made it this far" Irons spat as he dabbed his sweaty forehead with a grimy rag that may at some point have been white...but now it was stained black, brown, green...and red. "I can't let you live you understand...I can't have loose cannons running around I need to keep this all hushed up - I've even hidden the only key to get out of here through the sewers in my tower..." He kept his gun trained on them. "I'll kill you all, cleanse the city...and then I'll hunt down the last few survivors of umbrella and kill them too, to make sure they pay!" he wiped spittle away with the back of his hand. "I'll kill them all and set this place ablaze...everything will be clean again! Like I intended it to be...but not before I finish off my collection of taxidermy works..."

He leered at Claire and she shivered with discomfort...the toad like man repelled her in ways she hadn't though possible.

Claire looked at Joshua, he was staring at the surgery table... at a bracelet...gleaming and flickering in the dim fluorescent lighting...

**+Joshua+**

He remembered the bracelet...he'd lugged boxes, answered phones, stuffed envelopes, made sandwiches, served greasy food... all to buy that for Felicity. It was a simple silver chain with a white gold strip inscribed with her name. He'd seen it in a jeweler's window and known it was for her.

For their 25th month anniversary since he wanted to celebrate more then after 25 months then after 24...he told her it was a prize for not going mad because of him. He'd given it to her in the middle of the Shopping District and she'd hugged and kissed him and told him he was wonderful...and then he'd realized he'd never love another girl like he loved her.

Felicity.

That little silver band was blood stained...her blood, he could smell it...Irons was unprepared for his attack, Joshua lunged through the air with incredible speed, he grabbed Irons' wrist in a vice like hold and dug his fingers into the windpipe of the man who croaked and cursed. "What...how..."

"You killed the only woman I'll ever love you BASTARD" Joshua cried, his throat felt sore, his voice sounded weird and he felt like he was pumping too much adrenaline, his entire body was pulsating and he felt his eyes burn with fury. His nails dug into Irons' throat - the inhuman urge to shred the man's body and pour the blood out into a bucket for leeches to feed on...the taste of hate fresh on his tongue...the NEED to rip flesh and tear tendon...it was frightening.

Irons kicked out and tried to force the boy off but the strength was preternatural... Irons shoved away and raised his gun. The hand lashed out and grabbed his ankle, it dragged the chief down the gap in the floor, the Chief's chin hit the ladder and he croaked...he flailed wildly as he was pulled down...

"Fuck" Joshua breathed.

**+Bob+**

Bob had seen a lot over the past few hours...but now he was seeing new levels of bizarre occurrence...from beneath the steel cover knocked asunder by the dragging claw he could hear Irons screaming and begging and then an unpleasant squelch noise... "All right" his throat was dry - he hadn't noticed in his silence. "We need to check this out" he decided.

"Do we have to?" groaned Joshua. "We don't even have weapons!"

Suddenly a scream rang out and Irons was flung back onto the floor. He scrambled for his gun. Joshua moved with exceptional speed but Irons grabbed a crowbar and hit the boy in the side. Joshua hissed in pain and Irons scrabbled to his feet. Green ooze slipped off his lips and he wiped frantically at it.

"You - You will die...that thing...it nearly had me...nearly"

Joshua gave a shudder, his pupils dilated...and then he looked at Irons. "You're a dead man chief" he whispered. "You're death will come from within". He pupils reduced again. Irons snorted and leveled the gun at the head of the teenage boy.

The implosion came first, Irons' ribs visible turned inwards...then with an almighty crack he split in two, a geyser of crimson fluid gushed in torrents from his body. All three of his captives ducked aside as his body sprayed all around, they didn't notice the slithering ochre shape vanishing down the hole in the floor.

"Claire? Bob? Joshua" Claire held up her radio. "Yeah? Leon? We're here"

"Good...we were worried...where've you been?" Leon breathed out.

"The Chief was here...he trapped us but we got away---or rather something got him..." Claire had a choked sound in her voice. Bob touched her shoulder in a fatherly way and she smiled. "We'll free up the elevator in a few seconds..." they headed for the door and soon unblocked the elevator and re-equipped their weapons.

Sarah, Sherry and Marvin came down first, then Ben, Ada and Leon. Sarah sniffed. "What's that smell?" she asked.

"Don't ask" Claire replied.

**+Ada+**

"We should head on" Joshua said. He stopped and removed a roll of plasters from his side pack. "Sherry, would you put these over your eyes..."

"Why?" Ada asked.

"She's seen enough...I don't want her to see that room" Joshua snapped. Ada nodded slowly...the boy was willful to say the least - she watched carefully as he wound the gauze around the girls eyes and took her hand.

"Let's go" Sarah said. She loaded the bow gun and Claire checked her sniper rifle. Ada reloaded her Magnum and walked forwards, she had a bad feeling and she didn't need any more of those today. They approached the chamber.

Ada gave a minor shudder as they stepped in - it was truly disgusting, the depths of human depravity in all truth. Ada stopped... there was an acidic smell coming from the corner... "We're about to encounter trouble" she announced. Marvin limped over to her side.

"What do you mean?" the officer asked.

"I smell something familiar...it smells like the ichors generated by a strange creature that attacked me here...I escaped by the skin of my teeth, but I didn't get a proper look at it".

The creature burst forth from the depths of the hole in the floor. It bulged and pulsated, growing long limbs and dribbling slime from its misshapen mouth. "Get down!" Sarah cried as she fired off the arrows from the bow gun. The monster vomited up a wad of spongy yellow tissue and green sludge. From the scum an insect of some sort scuttled out and leapt at Marvin. He batted it aside with his rifle and fired at the monster. Joshua passed Sherry to Rob and Ben, who were shooting then the teen whipped out both his pistols and fired furiously.

Ada could see its pulsating veins and the slime coating its body...it seemed so frail...but she knew what to do. She fired at the back of its legs - it gurgled like water going down a drain...and then fell forwards, it tried to crawl but Claire took aim with her rifle and shot through its malformed spine. It thrashed, spitting out two more shapes that scampered at Claire and leapt at her. The girl swatted one with her rifle butt but the other pounced onto her arm and she had to try and pry it off. Ada grabbed Leon's shotgun from his hands, stood over the monster with a leg on either side of its body and fired down into it.

It burst like a pimple or pustule of some sort, green slime spurted from the strange gills on its body and it went limb.

"Nicely handled Ada" Claire nodded as Ben stamped on the last Crawler.

"I believe that is that" Ada murmured.

They looked at the ladder into the hole. Leon walked forwards and took his shotgun back, and then he slowly lowered himself down into the darkness. Moments passed that seemed like hours...then - "All Clear!" Leon called up.

Ada checked her magnum and followed him down the ladder.

**+Leon +**

Leon and Ada stood on the metal walkway, awaiting the others. "The sewers are just beyond the processing plant here" Marvin said as he reapplied more herbal poultice to his wound. "We can get out through there and out to-"

"The Chief mentioned a key" Bob interjected.

Marvin paused and closed his eyes. "Yeah...there is one - damn I hadn't thought of that...the mayor blocked off some of the sewers for security to the Chemical plant there's one master key his daughter had it...Irons must have gotten it..."

Joshua nodded. "I remember the key...he said it was in his tower"

"The clock tower, he stored things up there" murmured Sarah. "We need that key"

"There's a place near here, a safe room of sorts" Marvin said. "We just have to pass through the Heavy Doors and the doors on a raised bank...we meet there"

"I know the place" Bob said. "It's an operator's room or something - I delivered some weapons to the security team there...it's near the processing plant..."

"Okay, Bob, Ben - and - Joshua...come with me" Leon said. "We can get that key!"

The woman watched as Leon Kennedy, Bob Kendo, Ben Bertolucci and Joshua West made their way back to the Chief's office and out the fire escape. She tapped some keys and switched to another camera to find them running down a side passage near where Mr. X was. Leon Kennedy made a comment on the absence of the Mr. X body and Joshua responded that either it deteriorated rapidly like most zombies - or it wasn't dead.

"Perceptive Mr. West" the woman muttered.

She switched to another camera as they climbed up the steps of the broken fire escape – they were lucky that only the lower levels had been shattered and that the route to the roof was intact. The woman raised an eyebrow. "How interesting…they know about the key…" she stopped. "Irons…that…IDIOT". She swiveled in her chair and tapped on the console, the files of Umbrella fell beneath her keystrokes as she found what she was looking for.

Mr. X.

She tapped a few keys. From many miles away a signal was sent by her command to Mr. X – the Tyrant straightened up and turned around…it had been making its way through the car park when the small circuits in the back of its neck flickered – they had once been used to subdue the consciousness of the beast in its cryo-sleep and implant it with it's mission by computer command… she had designed the upgrade of the program herself.

She was so tied into Umbrella it was frightening. She hit the command, the map loaded into its head…the tyrant thundered along the corridor towards the clock tower.

She smiled and flicked to a camera of the clock tower to await the arrival of the men. Nearby the sewers played out for her – but she didn't particularly care about that.

**+Claire+**

Sherry clutched Claire's hand – they moved swiftly down the passage under ground and onto the elevator. No one spoke, the hearts in their mouths provided ample blockage. As they ventured slowly down the stone corridor with its fluorescent lighting Claire shuddered.

She had a bad feeling.

"Is something wrong?" Ada asked, looking at Claire with the cold eyes of hers.

"I don't know" responded Claire. The woman wasn't trustworthy but she was a good shot and seemed pretty knowledgeable – beggars could not be choosers. There was a roar – the creature struck the railing overhead in frenzy, the heavy iron bar in its hand bent and buckled as it gave a bizarre roar, the eye on its black plated arm split open and gazed down at the people below.

"RUN!" Sarah shrieked. Claire fired a crossbow bolt and the monster grunted as it hit, that was a small but necessary distraction as Ada, Sarah, Sherry and Marvin sloshed through the heavy water around their feet. The large steel door opened before them as Ada slapped the button. They pushed through quickly and Marvin sealed the door just as the monster landed in the water.

No one dared breathed as the Thing pounded on the door with its metal bar…then there was a low growl they could hear beyond the steel barricade. The splashing stopped and the footsteps that began soon faded away. "What was that?" Claire whispered at last.

"I suggest we don't find out" Ada replied.

"That thing was chasing me earlier – I saw it from far away – I managed to crawl into a vent" Sherry said. She frowned. "I seem to be doing that a lot lately." With a sigh she pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked around. "Bullet holes"

Claire followed the girl's gaze and touched the fissures in the wall. Automatic weapons – her father had been in the air force…she knew enough to know the patterns of a gunfight like anyone who'd ever seen real weapons.

"I guess the people got away" she noted.

"Guess again" Marvin said. The commando was face down in the water…his legs were partially submerged nearby…he'd been slashed in two – some time ago…the body was festering… Claire covered her nose with a gloved hand and pulled a face. "Let's go" Marvin said as he pointed at the lit hallway nearby.

They walked forwards.

Sherry shrieked as the ground beneath her feet gave way, the shaft opened beneath her sneakers and with a shriek she disappeared.

"Sherry!" Claire shouted – the shaft sealed abruptly. "No!" Panic seeped in, the murky waters swirled and soon the plate of metal over the shaft was only a faded shape – Sherry had been separated from them again…this couldn't be happening…no way.

"Let's regroup and see if the security cameras can help us" Marvin said. "They're in the security room". He was walking taller now, his injury already healing better thanks to the herbal remedies they were all using. Claire walked after him slowly, fear of a new kind was running through her. Fear that Sherry would meet that monster.

**+Leon+**

The clock tower was silent; it had been so for a long time. Bob poked around in the shadows with his shotgun – throughout this entire ordeal shadows had grown longer, darker and more dangerous. "Where's the key?" Joshua exclaimed as he finished his search of the clockwork that stood silent and unmoving.

"A passage and answers await the one, who starts my body running once more" Ben read. He was kneeling on the wooden walkway by the clock face – a small metal plaque he'd dusted off bore those words. "Sounds like a puzzle"

"And we have plenty of those around here" Joshua snorted. "Has anyone seen the gate to the city hall? Pfft!" He rolled his eyes and kneeled down with Ben.

Leon examined the heavy steel plate with the blotches of rust upon it – it was old but still solid however reddish marks indicated it had been moved recently.

The woman laughed melodiously as she reviewed the thousands of camera's she'd planted and hacked into across Raccoon City. She looked at the Library camera…Mr. X was making his way up the stairs, the steps buckled slightly under his weight but he kept moving…Ben Betrolucci and Joshua were kneeling beside a gap in the metalwork of the clock…that puzzle…yes if they figured out what cog-wheels to move…they might escape.

She looked at the Library camera and laughed…Mr. X had trouble with doors…

She quickly cast a glance to the other active screens. There was a woman with a shoulder injury unconscious in the town clock tower…then there was a man racing through a hospital, fight Hunters…she watched as eight survivors entered the University grounds and laughed. "So many people…so little chance…I do love it when they play the odds" she declared aloud.

She looked back at the Upper Levels Police Lobby Camera and watched. 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 ----

**+Ben+**

"Wonder who built this" Joshua said. "M. Trevor…who's that?"

Before Ben could answer that he didn't know but that the name was familiar…the door to the clock tower burst inwards. The trench coat wearing monster lumbered forwards, boards squeaked under its bulk and it gazed at Leon and Bob who stood on the level bellow as if they were cockroaches to be stepped on.

"What does this thing want?" exclaimed Bob as he shot the thing with his shotgun. Leon fired with his own shotgun and Joshua provided support from the walkway. The tyrant stumbled back a little but ultimately it kept coming.

Ben was frantic…finally he spotted it – the small bronze cog wheel didn't belong, in fact it caused an obstruction. He tugged at it but it was stuck. Leon was punched across the room and the tyrant threw Bob aside. Joshua ran down a few steps and kept firing. Leon leapt on the monsters back but the behemoth threw the RPD rookie onto Joshua instead.

Bob leapt up on to the stairs and empted the barrels of the gun into the monsters chest; it crashed backwards off the steps. "Hurry Ben!" Bob roared.

Ben pried the wheel out with fumbling fingers and the plaque slid aside to reveal a notch for the cog wheel. He shoved it in and twisted. The metal plate slid past with a moan – hanging from a chain on the ceiling was a key. Joshua grabbed it and looked down the long dark metal chute. "What's down there?" Ben gasped.

"Let's find out" Joshua shrugged he fired a blast of his pistols at the monster and then hit Ben with his hips in a dance-like move that dropped the reporter into the unknown. Bob shouted back: "Go! I'll follow!" then Leon tried to argue and crashed down behind Joshua. The three men landed in a heap – in the distance of the chute they could hear the shots ringing out then…Bob screamed.

The woman watched as the younger men leapt down the shaft, Leon Kennedy tried to argue with the fool Bob Kendo but the man pushed the rookie into the shaft – evidently the man had misjudged a great deal as he fired at Mr. X who'd come closer then he'd believed…then he'd not been able to reload fast enough, fear had shaken his fingers and his cartridges skittered across the floor.

Mr. X bore down on him, fists crunched and slapped, life blood flew and bruises formed as the grey leathery fists impacted with Bob's body. He buckled, falling down – crying out as he was broken by each strike…then the foot rose. Bob fell back – his head floating in the open space of the shaft.

If he moved just a little, pushed back a smidgeon…sadly the boot came down. The crack and splatter were thrillingly abrupt.

Red fluid leaked down the vent…

The woman laughed and turned back to her other cameras.

**+Leon+**

"Shit" Joshua breathed as the scarlet waterfall dribbled from the chute. They were in the basement behind the car park…Bob was dead – Leon knew it even before the blood or the screams. Those had served simply to reinforce the fact.

"Let's move" Leon said as he opened the doors to the kennels. "The police station map says there's a door to the sewers in or around here" the dog leapt at his throat. Joshua moved in the blink of an eye and fired, Leon covered his face as the dog's body exploded, showering the area with patches of festering flesh and gore. "Damn – thank you Joshua"

"No problem" Joshua replied quietly. There was a snarl from the shadows. Ben reloaded his pistol with a loud whimper. Three more dogs attacked –once they'd been the noble sniffer-dogs of the RPD – now they were slavering horrors with shedding hair and missing epidermis.

Ben fired frantically but Leon and Joshua knew what they were doing (this was the reason they didn't give anything too powerful to the reporter). The dogs whined and snarled as they fell backwards and twitched in a gathering red pool

Leon stepped past them – they'd burst right out of their kennels and ripped apart an attendant… she'd never stood a chance – how sad… quietly Leon pulled on the manhole cover. Ben and Joshua assisted him in a somber mood.

Death was everywhere and Leon was really getting to grips with how easily he could be forced to join the ranks of the dead or undead… he understood how inhuman his opponents were and why he needed to stay focused.

Wading through the waters the men said nothing; only the movement of water accompanied them as they searched for a place to meet up with the others. Finally they came to a large doorway they opened out into a passageway with a huge fan on one wall by a ladder.

"This is the place I think" Leon breathed. "By my directions…we've traveled in the right pattern to reach the same point as the others…" he let out a long breath and they walked along the sewer way. Ben yelped. He'd stumbled over a body – the Umbrella logo was prominent on the helmet and body of the man – he'd been stabbed straight through in four places.

"These are the men that came for the G-Virus…they started all of this" Joshua said.

Leon nodded and climbed up onto the bank, he pushed open the door and relief washed over him…Claire rushed over and hugged him. "We lost Sherry" she exclaimed.

"No!" Joshua exclaimed.

Leon was feeling his body begin to give from the exhaustion – he sat down and let the others tell their story…Bob's lack of presence was noted and a darker mood slipped over them all.

**+Sherry+**

The zombie vomited the stream of acid at her but she ran past. Sherry hurried up a ladder and picked up the herbs…she'd need them later no doubt. A nearby desk was littered with papers but she found a map amongst the scraps. Sherry hadn't the time to be afraid; she set her jaw and retied her hair in a tighter band then before.

She ran along a passageway and avoided another vomiting zombie. "If you want to avoid sickness, don't hang around a sewer" she muttered. Finally she ran out onto a large floor space. "There" she noted the door across the room and rand towards it.

The floor gave out and she tumbled downwards onto the debris with a scream.

The world swam and faded in and out of focus…finally she shut her eyes as something large loomed over her…

**+Claire+**

"Leon needs some rest" Claire said. "The others do…I'm going to the storeroom on the map – it's not far and I shouldn't be in danger". Marvin opened his mouth to say something but she shook her head and raised a hand. "It's two doors away – I won't be long and I won't be in danger – trust me, I'll be fine"

"I'm still coming" Marvin said. Claire shrugged and she and Marvin headed out into the dank sewers. They made their way down a side passage to a large open area.

"Freeze" a voice rang out. The woman stood with her Magnum trained on them – her eyes were cold and hard with weary bags beneath them and tear stains reddening them. "Who are you?"

"Marvin Brannagh of the RPD" Marvin said.

"Claire Redfield…we're looking for our friend…"

"I see – my name is Annette Birkin I'm looking for some people-" she was cut off by Claire's gasp.

"Joshua and Sherry!" Claire exclaimed. "We found them in the RPD…what happened at the labs?" Annette shivered but Claire didn't have the energy or time for sensitivity. She looked at the woman and felt Marvin support her on a mental level.

Annette sighed and lowered her gun. "My husband, William, invented a new Virus. The G-Virus, he discovered a base coding for it that led to the invention – it was almost entirely his own work – I aided him but he was the real genius. He found a way to create a serum that causes cells to heal and mutate – once a subject is injected with the G-Virus they become a G-Type which mutates rapidly when subjected to external stimuli"

"The more we attack it – the more we change it?" Marvin ventured.

"Yes, essentially" Annette nodded. She was dressed in a yellow sweater and brown trousers with her matted blonde hair falling over her eyes. "But Umbrella wanted the virus all to themselves, my husband was supposed to become a director – they decided to instead send in a strike force to extract the virus – they shot him – I arrived to find him bleeding to death in his lab" she rubbed a hand across her drawn out face. "When I went to get help he injected himself with the virus and turned into a G-Type…I don't know what happened only that he slaughtered the men who'd come for him and commenced a spread of the virus."

"Damn" Marvin muttered. "We have to find Sherry"

"Wait…where is my daughter?" Annette exclaimed.

"We got separated from her" Marvin replied.

"Oh no" Annette gasped. "William is no longer in control of his body, he's being driven by the G-Type's need to survive, in order to survive the G-Type needs to pass on the virus to a complementary host by use of snake like embryo's that nest within a chest cavity until they burst out (in the case of an incompatible host)…or can take full control of the genetically similar host…he'll want Sherry!"

"That's it we need to find her!" Marvin exclaimed. A scream rang out.

"Go that way Annette. We'll go this way" Claire cried as she ran towards the ladder descending to another level of the sewers. Annette nodded and darted away through a set of nearby double doors.

Ada+

"I'm worried about Sherry" Leon said. Ada looked up from the ammo she was sorting for them all to carry, Sarah was nearby, and helping Ben to disperse the medical supplies into the packs they still had. Joshua was working on the monitors in search of Sherry.

"Let's go and see if Claire and Marvin are still in the storeroom" Ada offered. She wanted to talk to Leon alone – see what he was like…perhaps even get information. They left the room, telling the others to contact them by radio if necessary…Ada switched on a flashlight as they walked down a narrow walkway.

"This is all a nightmare" Leon said. "But it's real I'm living a nightmare…" his voice sounded weaker then ever before, he'd rested for a while but he was far from top condition. They were all working on survival instinct and adrenaline now. Ada had to keep her mission in mind though.

"It'll all be over soon" Ada said quietly. "One way or another".

She stopped. A blonde woman in a lab coat saw them and ran around the corner. Ada ran ahead – that was Annette Birkin! She'd have a great deal to tell them. The scientist raised a pistol and fired. Ada cringed…but Leon slammed into her and she fell aside as he took a bullet in the shoulder for her. "Leon?" the rookie was unconscious.

Ada stepped away from him. "That was sweet and foolish Leon" she sighed. She checked her gun and headed after Annette. She climbed up a ladder and made her way along the vent for the unmoving fan. Cockroaches scuttled from a vent but Ada thought nothing of them.

Ada moved like a cat, each footstep thought out as she made her way down a sloped metal platform. She paused and kneeled beside a glimmering shape. She recognized it as the round locket worn by Sherry Birkin. She latched it around her neck and continued the move.

Brandishing her weapon she dropped onto a concrete path beside the deep pool of the sewers far below. "Now where did you go Dr Birkin?" she murmured. A shot rang out and Ada's gun skittered along the catwalk to land at the foot of a desk.

"Who have we here?" Annette approached slowly, her gun still smoking from the adept shot that had disarmed Ada. "A spy from the HCF – or do you still call yourselves the Agency?"

"I'm Ada Wong, a private investigator…I came to find my boyfriend John"

"John? That doesn't…wait actually there was a researcher who didn't shut up about his girlfriend Ada…" Annette laughed darkly and Ada backed off as the scientist walked closer with her outstretched weapon. "He's dead. A zombie. He was at the Arklay facility under the Spencer Estate…sorry – though I doubt he was your REAL reason for coming here"

"It was…it still is…"

Annette's eyes widened as she spotted the locket around Ada's neck. "That locket where did you get it?" her voice was ragged now. From desperation? Panic? Anger?

"What's it to you?"

"Give it to me! Now!" commanded the blonde woman furiously. He reached to grab the accessory but Ada moved fast, she grabbed Annette's gun hand and then caught the woman's other hand. Ada forced the gun hand aside and stamped on Annette's foot. The woman shrieked and freed her unarmed hand to grab a handful of Ada's hair.

The blunt pain rain through Ada's scalp but she simply scratched Annette across the face and then punched her heavily. Annette screamed as she fell over the edge of the balcony and crashed into the dark water with a loud splash.

"Good riddens" Ada murmured. She reached up and unlatched the locket she examined it more closely…there seemed nothing important about it. Annette was seemingly mad anyway.

Ada rose and headed back to help Leon.

**+Joshua+**

Joshua paced around…finally he stood on the elevator to the storage space. "I'm just taking a look down here" he said. "Maybe we can find something of use". No one protested then again only Ben and Sarah were present.

He shone the torch in the darkness. There was movement…a cockroach! He laughed – then he noticed the discoloration, was huge and had a purple tint to its carapace. "Oh please don't be a wall covered in cockroaches – please don't be a wall covered in cockroaches" he chanted. He raised the torch. The roaches that coated the wall swarmed him like a small blizzard trying to poison him with their stingers.

They flew into his mouth and eyes and ears and he slapped out at them, desperately. They started to try and devour him with mutated mouths… Joshua had kept them out of his mouth with great success but they were under his clothes in places…

Suddenly he felt a strange burning sensation. The roaches began to drop off his body, frothing and twitching, they spasmed around him, soon his body was roach free and the blackened, rank smell of the roaches wafted up around him. They were all dead.

Because of him?

**+Marvin+**

Claire ran like a gazelle, the bridge led to a narrow passage – it had a low roof and bad lighting – but the most frightening thing was the smell. Marvin was sure that if there was better light there would be pieces of decomposing tissue and congealed blood all around.

Something had been killing in this place. Marvin tightened his grip on his submachine gun and followed Claire to the large metal doors. "Claire…" but Claire was too preoccupied with searching the room to see what Marvin saw in the dark depths. A shadow.

Claire gasped. "Sherry!" she called, the girl was lying on a mountain of trash. Claire moved forwards – Marvin lunged forward and dragged Claire backwards as the scaled shape snapped at the air it's curved yellow teeth chewing air…

"Shit!" Marvin bellowed. He fired a burst of weaponry at the monster and prompted Claire to run. They rushed away as the dull green creature stormed after them. Despite its armor plated bulk the creature was fast and it seemed hungry. "The door won't open!" Claire exclaimed. An emergency lock of some sort had come into operation for whatever reason.

Marvin and Claire fired, grenades and bullets peppered the monster's head but its skin was too powerful. Marvin noticed a flickering green light. He kicked the button on the wall and the tank dropped off. "Eat that!" he roared as the gator surged forwards. It snatched the tank up in its mouth. Claire and Marvin fired. Claire dragged Marvin down with her as the explosion vividly killed the gator.

The top of its head went off in a blaze of flame, the geyser of red liquid bubbled off from the shattered fragments of its skeleton speckled through the visible pink flesh. The body thrashed a little…then stilled and began to fester almost instantly

"What a smell" Marvin muttered.

Claire nodded absent mindedly and ran past the body, careful to avoid slipping on the pool it lay in. Marvin followed her through the waters to Sherry. Claire looked around and cried out a little, Marvin snapped around in time to see a familiar red shape slithering away.

Sherry was infected with an embryo.

* * *

**Well there we go, another chapter down...I hope this is going well. Any questions or comments are welcome. I've had really GREAT reviews on this story so I've been inspired to keep going with this and I'm already planning another RE fic - so keep it up I'll properly thank my reviewers at the end.**


	5. V

_**Resident Evil: Living Nightmares**_

**Claire**

Marvin carried Sherry into the room. Everyone looked up. "Where's Leon ...and Ada?" Claire added. She didn't like the woman AT ALL.

"They ehaded out to find you I think" Sarah said. She pointed at the other door. Claire ran to it and checked her gun. "Where are you going?"

"There's a big monster out there...like hell I'm going to find them" before anyone could protest the girl was out the door and down the hall. She raced along the echoing concrete hallway until she found Leon. He had a wound on his shoulder and was lying in a pool of blood. Claire gasped, trying to start breathing properly. She rushed to his side and immediately pulled her medical supplies out of the bag. Leon groaned and opened his eyes.

"Ada?"

"Pfft! Hardly" scoffed Claire.

"Claire" he smiled. "A woman...blonde...shot me" he grunted as Claire bandaged his shoulder firmly. "Ada went after her"

"It might have been Annette...damn - Sherry's mother...we found Sherry"

"Is she okay?"

Claire looked at her palms for a few moments - then she looked at Leon. "I think she's been infected by...something" so she told him everything. He swallowed.

"her father?"

"That's what Annette says"

"God" he shivered. "We have to do something..."

"We can get out of the city - and get her help" Claire shrugged. "Annette's probably got a cure, if we find her we find her we stand a chance". She swallowed and helped Leon up. "Coem on" they made their way back to the control room. Ada emerged from a corridor, tucking something back under her shirt.

"Where'd you go to?" Claire muttered.

"I tried to catch a scientist - get answers"

"Did you?"

"No she escaped" Ada said simply. Joshua was standing beside Sherry who wasstill unconscious. He looked up at their entrance. "I know" Joshua said. And only Claire and Leon understood - they didn't stop to wonder how he knew Sherry had been infected - just that he did and his look made it clear.

"We need to head out of the sewers" Marvin said. "Apparently it's an infection zone down here there's no safe way out - we're running low on ammo too."

Joshua cleared his throat and handed a small green book to Marvin. "I marked an entry - read it" he shuddered.

_**Damn it! That Umbrella Security Overseer is getting on my nerves - it's bad enough he keeps adjusting the water pressure to block the security door but he's gotten far crankier lately, ever since that rat bit him he's been sick and it's gross. I hear him coming now - sounds like he has a limp - almost as bad as that teenage girl with Umbrella clearance she just swept right in and said something about reviewing security of course that's a load of bull she's way too young probably just trying to slum it in the sewer plant for one time in her -**_

The page ended with a great deal of sticky blood. Marvin handed Claire the diary and she put it in her pack – its pages were sticking even.

"I found the body downstairs – it had been shot already – there was one over the desk…cockroaches got to that one first"

"Cockroaches?" Sarah shuddered. "Mutant ones?" Joshua nodded. "As if they weren't bad enough before…gross"

Joshua shrugged. "The water pressure must be the sewer entrance protocol. The Lab links up to some of the other facilities in the area – by rail car" he frowned for a moment. "You know…the labs were equipped with an escape train". Everyone looked at him. "It was sealed up but it could be used…we could get damning evidence on Umbrella as we pass through – then just cruise out on their train"

"What if it's already been taken?" Ada asked.

"Unlikely, I was at the lab when things went critical – someone had shut down the doors manually, the majority of the scientists were in the lobby – the escaped experiments got them…I saw it" he shrugged. "They were slaughtered. Zombies. Lickers. Weeds. Spawn."

"What are you talking about?" Leon murmured. Claire had been about to ask but the sickening feeling rising in her gut told her she already knew simply by the first two.

"The monsters in the lab" Joshua shrugged. "Most of them escaped out into the town." Claire nodded and walked over to a control panel. If they wanted to cure Sherry without Annette they needed to go to the labs. And if there was a way out there…then so be it.

"Okay let's see…yeah there's a water pressure valve blocking a nearby passage – if take that direction – it seems to lead into an Umbrella facility."

Leon loaded his shotgun. "Let's go" he nodded.

**Leon**

The water had gone from the sewers and the dead bodies now lay on damp ground with a sickening smell of death rising from them now. They were old – about a week they'd been there. Ada pstopped and kneeled down by two bodies in an alcove. "these are dry" she called.

Leon rushed over and climbed up into the alcove. Ada took an assault rifle and some clips, Leon took the other and it's clips then handed some flash grenades and explosive grenades to Claire. The young lady dispersed the ammo amongst the others. She pulled some blue herbs from a pot.

"Blue herbs – they're cure for natural poisons of every kind" she explained when Leon looked at her quizzically. Leon couldn't help but smile – she was a strange girl.

But he liked her.

He liked Ada too – she was gutsy and – alluring.

Pushing the thoughts aside to realign the layer of grit over his emotions here turned to focusing on the situation.

Sherry was unconscious in Joshua's arms still but she seemed to be slowly coming too as they walked towards the steel door build into a wall under a huge sewer pipe.

"Claire?" Sherry groaned.

"Sherry?" Claire sounded relieved and anxious – she hurried to the girl and took her hand. "Are you okay?"

Sherry struggled from Joshua's hold; the little girl straightened her hair out of her eyes. "Yeah…I just feel a little sick is all"

Ada raised an eyebrow but Leon knew she'd not jump to conclusions. Marvin examined the doors and then took out the key from his pocket. He pressed a button on it and a long jagged point slid out. He inserted it in the slot by the door and a red light turned green. The door hissed and opened.

Joshua checked his magnums and walked alongside Leon. "I don't remember a girl" Joshua said.

"Huh?" Leon had no idea what the boy was talking about, he'd simply said it in a quiet voice.

"The Sewer Manager's diary mentioned a girl with security pass. If that was ture I'd have heard about it one way or another…Dr Birkin didn't know she was there. And he knew everything that went on in there so…I don't know who she was". He was voicing concerns that leon easily understood, they descended a sloped stone hallway and finally reached a vast hall.

A red metal cable car stood at the ready. Marvin used his key on the control box to open the doors and start the motors. Leon felt relief as the motors purred and hummed – as they entered the car Leon realized they'd soon have left the Police Station behind.

He'd never gotten that party. The thought made him smile a little. Claire caught his eye and smiled back. She reloaded her Browning and put her sniper rifle back over her back. She had her short grenade launcher in her backpack – ready to draw but secure until then across the top.

"let's go" Leon said at last. Nodding Marvin inserted the key into the control box in the car and turned it. Lights flickered on and the car started to move. It juddered at first and the cables moaned…but then it finally made its way over the pitch black depths towards a distant rock face with dim lighting.

Ben gave a cry as he opened a cupboard. Inside was bottled water, crackers, protein bars, biscuits and vitamin pills. He started passing them out.

Leon drank the water, the old tingle ran down his throat and he didn't realize how thirst he was until that moment. He put the bottle back and took another from the large container they had. His bag was getting a bit heavier but there was still space in it.

The others stocked up on water and some food.

Then…the train gave a shudder. And something roared.

**Ada**

As far as missions went – this one was far from pleasant. The second the cable car gave a jolt Ada knew something bad was happening. The claw stabbed through the roof like it was tinfoil.

"Shit!" Ben shrieked as he dived down low. Claire urged the others to duck low. Leon, Ada, Claire and Joshua stood shoulder to shoulder in a square – pistols read.

The hand lashed down over Joshua but he'd moved a few critical seconds before, he turned around and fired into its wrist. The monster howled. Ada fired and hit its forearm.

The arm disappeared and punched down again. Claire fired and forced it to retreat. Joshua grabbed Leon and pulled him away as a claw penetrated the roof once again. Leon and Joshua fired once more. The younger man was bizarrely perceptive…

Ada steadied herself. The air was still and there was only the sense of time passing at a crawl. The claw slashed down again. Ada fired. Ben rolled aside as she stumbled from the claw's flailing, he stood up. Claire and Leon fired at the claw – it retreated again but almost immediately it stabbed back in.

Ada lunged forwards, the claw nicked her shoulder but failed to do major damage, still, it was a formidable nick. It extended from her shoulder to her shoulder blade. "Damn it" she cursed, the pain was throbbing but her adrenaline was decreasing its pointed sting with great efficiency.

The claw slashed back in – Ben screamed as it scored two long scrapes on his arm, tearing the skin ragged and letting blood stream down off his elbow, he fell, clutching it. Ada fired.

The shot shattered a claw.

With a high pitched shriek the monster left the roof of the car, its weight vanished and the car noticeably bounced back into its place. "Damn" whined Ben. "My arm is messed up now!"

"Stop whining – we have to make sure you aren't infected" Claire said. Everyone was hurt, Marvin had his injuries from the siege, Sarah had scratches from fying glass from shattered buildings and a nasty bruise thanks to a door bursting open with a zombie's body weight.

Leon had been shot in the shoulder but was recovering nicely. Claire had some bruises from the various escapes she had to make at the beginning and some splinters she'd removed earlier.

Ada had her scratches, Ben had his, Joshua was sporting large bruises from Mr. X on his torso and Sherry had some injuries from her fall in the sewers but nothing major.

Claire had become the Florence Nightingale of the situation.

Ada didn't like it.

But as Claire patched them up Ada realized that the girl was useful for first aid…which was important

The car gave a moan and a shriek as the old gears and cables were jolted – and then it stopped. They had reached the other side.

**Joshua**

The gang ran across the space of the cable car service floor to the door beyond. They passed through a zombie in overalls ambled forwards, it was missing it's face, a mess of pink, red and off-white mush surrounded its broken teeth. "Hasta la bye-bye ugly" Joshua muttered as he fired his right hand pistol into its head and blew open its skull, its brain formed a cushion as it fell back with a splat and a thud.

"This is the secret rail station - DAMN" the circular abyss plunged into darkness with a tiny speck of light far below the only sign of an end. "We have to recall it" Joshua groaned.

"Do you know how?" Leon asked.

"I need the key" Joshua raised his hand and caught it as Marvin tossed it. They ran to the ladder. "You guys get ready stand clear from the sides though the clamps will pop out so don't fall in." He loaded his weapons and slipped them into the cross holsters on the small of his back. "Let's go" he murmured. He climbed downwards until his feet touched a dark platform, lights clicked on with echoing clunk noises and he walked with Leon towards the door. It was just them.

Leon pushed open the door, a zombie shambled forwards, it was missing a hand…Leon blew it away with his shotgun and reloaded. Another one crawled forwards. Joshua walked forwards and pointed down, he fired and the undead woman slumped into death.

"Come on" Joshua said as they walked down the stone walled corridor with flickering lights. They reached the control room, three zombies had been eating each other – the smell of fresh meat was just too appealing – they turned to attack and got shot up without a trouble.

"Zombies are suddenly too easy" laughed Leon half-heartedly.

Joshua swallowed. "Well we'll be missing them if too many of the projects downside got out" his voice was hoarse with worry and regret – despite it all the labs and Raccoon City had been…a home. His remorse turned to rage. Umbrella did this and they would pay.

Joshua walked over to the computer and immediately started adjusting knobs and buttons. "Do you know what you're doing?" asked Leon quietly.

"I'm a straight A+ student –despite what people say- I can handle this if we reroute the power and demagnetize the localized rail systems of the inter-lab hub then I can enhance the escalating speed of the car. Thing is the labs in a bad way already, the generator blew one of its fuses on the floor we're going to"

"How deep is this place?"

"So deep you could get lost" whispered Joshua – then he smiled, wiping at his face as if peeling away a mask – or putting one on. "But you've got me and Sherry we grew up there!" he hit a code into the machine and turned the key in the slot. There was click and a light blinked on.

Something hissed in the distance, Leon flinched but it was a mechanical hiss – not a living (or to be slightly more accurate un-living) hiss. Then a groaning noise from below began to grow louder. "We're on the way" smiled Leon.

"Come on" Joshua said. They headed for the door – the nearby concrete wall exploded, foul sewer water splashed in around and between the massive feet of Mr. X. "How does this fucker know where we are?" he roared in frustration. He opened fire at the monster – his voice had taken on a strange echo but it was probably just him hearing his voice strangely. Mr. X raised his fists and swung at Joshua, the boy dived backwards and rolled so he could keep firing.

Leon fired both barrels into the monsters gut and it stumbled back. Leon pumped furiously and reloaded but the monster kept coming, they backed down the hallway – Joshua's magnums clicked empty. Leon tossed the boy his shotgun and Joshua fired as Leon used his single magnum to hold the monster at bay.

Joshua looked up. He stared at the valve handle then tossed the shotgun to Leon, reloaded his pistols and ran at the monster. Mr.X swung but with preternatural speed Joshua veered aside and used the monsters knee to boost upwards, he fired into its head and twisted in the air with bizarre flexibility, the monster shuddered as the bullets pounded into its thick skull.

Leon stared as Joshua performed a spinning kick as he touched the monsters shoulder with one foot. The valve handle clattered away and Leon raised his shotgun as thick green gas poured out. He fired as Joshua landed into a diving roll looking strangely paler and shivering fiercely.

The flames engulfed the Tyrant and it flailed blindly. It fell against a set of heavy glass doors coated with greenery.

Apparently it was a service elevator of some sort. The monster plunged through the bizarre mesh of vines and out of sight. "Wow – that was nice" Leon said. "How'd you do that?"

Joshua felt his joints burning and the urge to kill rising but as he breathed in and out and calmed himself it slowly subsided. He swallowed the taste of vomit and stood up. "No idea" responded Joshua. He shivered and rubbed his aching head.

He opened a container of pills and crunched two between his teeth.

"What's that?"

"Diphillathene Benzotride" he responded. "It's for a neurological condition I have I forgot to take some about 20 minutes ago I need to take it every hour or I get sick – and what use would I be anyway" he straightened up as the pills started to work.

He and Leon climbed the ladder again. "What was that?" Claire asked.

"Mr Anorak" responded Joshua.

They climbed into the train and Joshua turned the key in the control box. They sat into the space behind the driving room. "We'll go all the way down to the very bottom Laboratory floor then all we have to do is find the control room"

"Joshua?" Sherry groaned. "Wh-why are we going down there?"

"The escape train – it's our best chance of escape"

"Password's Nemesis…for computers" she whimpered. "My stomach hurts"

"It's okay" Claire said soothingly. Joshua turned away and closed his eyes, he'd never cried in his life but this was as close as he'd ever come. "You're going to be fine" she whispered.

**Sarah**

The train gave a jolt and Sarah stumbled forwards. Ben shrieked as a huge claw stabbed through the side wall and tried to grab Sherry. "He's after Sherry!" Leon shouted. "Get down!" Joshua grabbed his foster sister and pulled her to the ground with him.

The claw flailed and then pulled out. It stabbed in again and this time it caught Ada across the back but she shot at it as she fell. It recoiled. The train ground to a stop.

Sarah gasped in some breaths and grabbed the Magnum. Marvin reached into his explosives laden backpack and pulled out a the sub-machine gun. "We're not alone" he whispered.

"No shit Sherlock" snapped Joshua as he held Sherry down with his arm and only raised his head. "He's triggered the Biohazard sensor unless we get rid of him…we're stuck"

"Great" Claire growled. Sarah checked her Magnum and then her salvo of ammo. Enough she hoped.

"Marvin, you and me?" Claire suggested.

"Let's not turn down his invite to dance" Marvin grinned

"I'm in too" Sarah said firmly. "let's go" They pressed the button by the door and the hiss of the seal opening sent shivers up Sarah's spine. She stepped out with the others and they rounded the tram. The metal bar bounced off the floor and vanished off the side of the elevator. "Look who's here" Sarah breathed.

The part human creature stood with it's massive arm bulging atop the dark metal trap. It growled, blood and puss erruped from the pores of its body and it gave a distorted growl as it's arm bulged and the giant eyeball crossed onto it's chest. The face warped and it's eyes bulged. It's other arm sprouted claws and black flesh.

It leapt down, barely human anymore with sharp talons on its feet making sharp scraping noises as it landed. It roared with a vaguely human voice…spikes burst from its chest.

"Oh my god" gasped Sarah.

Claire blasted her rocket launcher, she reloaded and fired again. The flames rose swiftly on the monsters body but it shrugged them off and slashed out. Sarah shrieked and ducked as a bladed arm slashed the air. She fired off her magnum into it's knee and it buckled. Marvin fired a spurt of machine gun fire at it and the monster stumbled backwards.

"Damn it this thing's barely acknowledging the bullets" Marvin exclaimed. Sarah fired her magnum and gave Claire cover to duck a swipe from the monster and dive roll across the metal floor to join her, Marvin backed off, constantly firing until he had to reload.

Claire spun her launcher, clicked it open, reloaded and shut it to fire again all in one fluid motion. "This is like the water gun back home" she snarled as she fired furiously.

The monster roared in it's once-human voice losing more and more humanity. Claire fired her launcher but the monster slashed down, she dived aside but cried out as the talon of the monster scraped her side. Marvin fired a burst directly into the monsters face as if insulted it had touched Claire.

Claire Fired her launcher then slipped it back across her backpack and pulled her Colt S.A. The shots were powerful – Sarah leapt up and fired her Magnum, joining the blasts aimed at the monster's head, it staggered back, roaring – then tripped and fell down the shaft.

"It'll be back" murmured Claire.

"I wish that was false" Marvin said.

Sarah just nodded breathlessly. The doors opened and Leon, Joshua and Ada came out. "We're not moving" Ada commented.

"What is this? The Junior detective convention" snorted Joshua. "It looks like we got jammed somewhere along the way… we could crawl through a vent here onto another floor and use an elevator to descend"

Sarah didn't much like that idea – but hey when all options were closed…

Leon nodded. "Okay, let's go" he pointed at a vent. Ada hopped onto the metal bulkhead attached to the elevator rails. Sarah followed them. Ada climbed into a vent. Sherry watched and Sarah waved to the little girl who looked so pale. Ada pulled off a vent cover and climbed in. "Clear" she shouted back.

Leon went next and then Sarah pulled herself into the dark metal passage, she shuffled forwards on all fours…when Joshua cried out. The machinery had begun to whir and descend, he was still holding the vent when the elevator plunged downwards he was barely hanging on.

Sarah shrieked in panic and twisted as quickly as she could, she grabbed his arm. "Hold on! Hold on!" she exclaimed, she pulled him in with all her strength he took a few breaths. "Damn that wasn't fun" the boy gasped.

"Come on" Sarah said. "Ada and Leon are on the other side; we can meet with the others later". They proceeded into the dim green light beyond.

**Leon**

Ada was gone. Leon had slid out of the vent to find her missing. "Ada?" he called. "Ada!" Silence greeted his ears both reassuring and unnerving.

"Where's Jane Bond go?" Joshua asked as he dusted himself off. Sarah tugged on her RPD uniform to straighten it out.

"Good question" replied Leon quietly. "Where are we?"

Joshua looked around for a moment. "Smelting pit and chemical piping room Level 63B" he replied. "The master elevator seems to be down here…but we can turn the power on in the smelting room" he gestured at a large door.

"Looks like fun" Sarah shrugged. They entered the room. A man minus a head lay on the floor. The licker responsible was feasting on an armed guard. Sarah and Joshua fired at it and it died within seconds.

Leon kneeled down by the headless corpse and grimly pulled something out of its hands. "What's this?" he asked. "Epsilon Gas?"

Joshua looked at the crumpled papers that had been wrapped around a vial. "Well, well, well"

"It says Anti-BOW gas!" Sarah exclaimed.

Joshua laughed scornfully. "Read what it says" he muttered.

_**The Epsilon Gas – Anti-BOW gas**_

_**The Epsilon Gas can be pumped into any situation that requires quick extermination of BOW'S. However the gas has been found to have many minor flaws that must be corrected. For one, surviving T-Virus creatures may adapt and evolve from its asbestos-qualities. It has also been found to make plant and insect based T & G virus subjects grow and progress further and faster then any other method. However it is a quick counter measure that is proven to kill such subjects as zombies and Hunters.**_

"What are Hunters?" asked Sarah

"You won't meet them – no point in adding to the horror" shrugged Joshua. "I think they used the Gas here –it might have affected things downstairs – it certainly made Plant 21 grow if it nearly reached the surface in that shaft Mr. X took a dip in"

Leon had a nasty feeling Joshua was right – it welled up in his stomach, marching up to the back of his throat. The chances were that the things downstairs…would be worse.

Joshua walked over to a console and turned a small lever from the red point to the blue one. "There we go" he smiled. "Power's up" the dim lights strengthened and became more vibrant. Slowly they headed for the elevators again, by passing the glowing amber smelting pit – the smell of molten metal stung their nostrils and they hurried back to the hall.

A shot rang out, it nearly hit Sarah but she'd been a centimeter to the left of it and simply cried out in shock. Annette aimed her magnum again. "Spies" she hissed, her breathing ragged and exhaustion obvious on her face. "You're here for the G-Virus" she growled.

"Annette" Joshua stepped forwards. "That's not true – put the gun down we need your help!" A shot hit the floor inches from his feet.

"You've been taken in Joshua" Annette snarled, a mad glint in her cold eyes. "You wouldn't be working with spies otherwise…that girl, Ada Wong. I did a background Check. She works for the Hale-Fallon Corporation – she's part of The Agency and she's here for samples of the G-Virus".

"That's not true!" Leon exclaimed, outraged and afraid. Of Ada being in danger. Of Annette being right.

Annette laughed scornfully and waved the vial at them. "No one will take William's legacy! NO ONE!" she raised her gun.

The vent burst open.

**Marvin**

Marvin held Sherry in his arms – she was shivering and whimpering. Claire removed her jacket as Ben held the door to the small side office. It's door was reinforced steel and it was lined with the stuff inside. Marvin lay Sherry onto a small bed in the corner. Claire put her waistcoat over Sherry.

"Claire…it hurts…"Sherry choked out, her eyes fluttering open and shut as she breathed heavily. "Where's…Joshua?"

"He's coming" Claire replied. "It's going to be okay…my angel always looks after me, it'll look after you." She smiled softly. Sherry gave and groan and turned onto her side.

Marvin, Ben and Claire walked to the other end of the room. "I'll stay with her" Ben said, he held a shotgun he'd gotten from the corner in his trembling hands. "Find what you need…go"

Marvin nodded, he had a heavy feeling in his heart, it overwhelmed any pain he felt – but he sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "We'll be back soon. You can probably use that PA to get to us" he waved at the communications set up in the corner.

"Yeah, just…go. Save the little girl" Ben said.

Marvin cast a worried glance at the little girl then he and Claire ran from the office. Down the metal corridor, the sounds of the heavy locks bolting echoed after them from the room Ben was in.

The dim hallways were infested with only a few zombies; their flesh was mostly peeled away though others were dressed in suits and lab coats. It was blatantly obvious they were the scientists and test subjects.

Across a steel bridge over a dark abyss they ran until they reached a central room. The smell of smoke and burnt out electronics ran through the air. Claire walked over to the metal lock in the middle of the area and kneeled down. "It's burnt out" she stated. "We need a new fuse for this thing"

"Okay, new fuse" nodded Marvin. He reloaded his gun. "Let's do it then – which way?"

Claire picked a corridor and they ran. The doors hissed open. Marvin ran forwards.

Pitch black, sticky, putrid flesh slipping and sliding off its body the clawed monster attacked with a gasping hiss. Marvin raised his gun but the tongue lashed his shoulder. Claire fired.

Her grenade launcher hit the monster and set it alight. She aimed her pistol and fired down with Marvin's aid. The monster thrashed and then – was still – crimson blood seeping out around its form.

"That's a licker…but what happened to it?" Claire mused. "Its jet black!" shaking his head Marvin wrinkled his nose at the chemical smell that filled the air. They moved down the hallway. A researcher lay crushed between hydraulic doors.

Beyond the sound of feasting could be heard. Shuddering Claire looked at Marvin, he was tending his slash wound with herbs and gauze. She stepped forwards. Marvin caught her wrist. "Hey! Hang on – we go together" she smiled at him and he beamed back.

Together they entered the cold room. The zombies forgot the crushed researcher and lumbered forwards, four doctors and two skinless ones – they fell under a hail of bullets.

"Look" Claire pointed to a machine marked as "Fuse Maintenance Station" she hurried over and started to press buttons.

"Do you know what you're doing?" asked Marvin.

"Yeah, I've been doing computer and technology classes all my life – Dad owned an Electronics Store". A hydraulic arm whirred and the fuse was slotted into a casing. Then the new product was placed in a steel box.

"What…damn!" Claire cursed. A keycard slot was flickering and the fuse was trapped beyond a glass panel the slot seemed to open. Marvin cleared his throat and held up a green card. "Where'd that come from?"

Marvin pointed to a body. "Caught my eye" he explained as she slipped the card in. The slot opened. They backtracked quickly and Marvin inserted the fuse as Claire set up the system.

Lights grew far below, rising up with gathering intensity until at last the rooms were fully lit. "Let's go save Sherry" Claire said.

With a decisive nod Marvin followed her.

**Joshua**

A few obsenities rolled off Joshua's lips as the burned and blistered Mr. X straightened up from his landing. He'd come from a shaft, bursting through it with no sign of injury. Annette turned and ran as Mr. X stunned her enemies.

Joshua squeezed the bridge of his nose and raised his guns. "Damn it you SOB why don't you fucking DIE?" he blasted with his pistols, joined by the others.

Sarah shrieked and dived aside, past the monster as it swung at her. "Elevator!" shouted Leon. Joshua shoved Leon aside and leapt away, the fist shattered the wall.

"It's engaged by the nutcase!" screamed Sarah as she gave assistance from down the hall. "Wait! It's on Floor 76A!"

"That's above us – it's where the train ends, all the floors below that are testing rooms or – die bastard – administrative…some are housing. Hit the button!" Joshua called. Mr. X grabbed him and hoisted him up, thick meaty fingers wrapped around his throat.

Leon was knocked backwards. Joshua struggled as his air supply was cut off – he couldn't breathe so that was bad…and the grip was tightening…Joshua gave a roar and pried the fingers apart with a crack that made Mr. X back off. There was a Ping. Leon swept around and unloaded both barrels of his shotgun into Mr.X's chest. The tyrant stumbled backwards.

"GO!" Leon roared as he shoved Joshua towards the elevator and fired. Panicked and desperate they dived in as Sarah shut the doors. The elevator moved towards 76A.

"Damn I hate him" gasped Joshua.

**Claire**

The hallway was populated by nothing. It was still and silent. A reception desk sat in the white marble lobby. Un-bloodied. Nothing festering on it… slowly Marvin and Claire walked towards the lab.

"What's waiting for you out there?" asked Marvin.

"My brother – Chris. The one I came to find. He was a STARS member"

"Yah I know…"

"Well. I was hoping he'd still be here – he could handle this. He taught me how to shoot and everything" she smiled softly. A door opened and a zombie lumbered forwards. Claire blasted it in the head without hesitation. "I miss him"

"We should'a listened to the STARS. But Irons told us it was because of their redundancy they made up the genetic testing stuff" Marvin shook his head in disgust and anger. "Why did we listen to that sick SOB?"

"Because you trusted him" Claire said gently. A door hissed open and they walked into the lab, blood and bullet holes slipped down the side of a desk. "This is where Birkin was shot."

"Yes - William"

Claire jumped. Annette was in the doorway – she had her gun trained on them. "You tried to kill William" she spat. "How DARE you!"

"He attacked us!" snapped Marvin.

"QUIET!" sneered Annette with vehemence. Her pistol was waving about, between Claire and Marvin – choosing its target. Independent of the insane woman holding it. "You're like all the rest…after the G-Virus. YOU CAN'T HAVE IT! It's William's legacy…"

"What about Sherry?"

Annette shuddered, her arm slowly seemed to tip with the weight of the gun. "It's…no. I…"

A roar rang out. Rejuvenated once more Annete whirled around, her lab coat fluttering. "William!" she cried with intense relief and joy. She ran away. Claire called out her name but seconds later there was a scream of WILLLLLLIIIIIAAAAAAMMMMMMMM and then silence.

Marvin and Claire raced towards the hall.

Lying in a pool of blood, her body slashed and breath rattling in her chest…Annette Birkin was fading from life. "What about…the legacy"

"There's Sherry…but she's been infected with a G-Embryo" Claire said calmly, kneeling down beside the woman. "Please – you're the only one who knows how to save her…"

"Take my…card and notes…activate the Angel vaccine in lab 5560HJ on this…floor" gasped the woman. "Tell Sherry – Her father- her father and – and I will…always… love her"

With a cough blood spluttered over Annette's lips and her head rolled to one side…she lay still and unmoving.

"Damn" whispered Marvin.

Claire stood up swiftly, focusing her mind on the objectives at hand and remembering what she needed to do, the Green Keycard and notes from the woman's pockets in her satchel she ran down the hall with Marvin in tow.

TBC

**Well there we go another one bites the dust, about 3 more left, in the next chapter - well things get complicated for just about everyone and more people meet grisly ends. And does anyone wonder what's happening to Joshua? Probably not - but this is only the beginning! Wooo!**


	6. VI

_**Resident Evil: Living Nightmares**_

**Leon**

As the doors opened Sarah and Joshua swung out, ready to fire. Leon checked his ammo reserves – they were depleted…he loaded his gun and followed them down the hall. Two doors hissed open and Leon swung around. Relief flooded his body.

"Claire!" he breathed

"Leon!" she hugged him tightly then pulled away and smiled. Marvin cleared his throat.

"Annette Birkin's dead" Claire said. Leon nodded – he berated himself for feeling a little (only the tiniest bit) glad the mad gunwoman was out of the picture. "But she gave us data on the cure we need, the Angel Vaccine."

Joshua was silent. He was staring at his feet and Leon realized he'd lost a family member. He placed a hand on the boys shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yes – I will be fine" Joshua said slowly. "What does the cure entail doing?"

"We need a sample of the G-Virus, the VN7127 device, a green key card and the chemical Emetine-2" Claire said as she reviewed the notes. Leon shuddered – he suddenly felt at ill ease.

"We can handle this – the machine is on this level – the vaccine bay is on the same level as the train – the chemical bay is here we can take a short cut there" Joshua said.

"Ben and Sherry are in the safe room" Marvin said.

"Claire, you go with Joshua to the chemical bay, we'll go back and get Sherry and Ben" Leon said. "Where can we meet up?" He was glad Joshua was around; the boy had the information as they lacked a map. Still his connection to Umbrella ran very deep and it unnerved Leon that two children like Joshua and Sherry could be so tangled in the web of the corporation.

"The monitor room, it's got a path to the train station" Joshua said. "It's also reinforced – we need to move fast, we can use the Address System from there to stay in touch".

"Good, let's do it" Leon nodded. He swallowed the dryness down and out of his mouth. Claire swiped her green card in a door and she and Joshua ran down a passage. Leon looked at Marvin who took point – they headed towards the safe room.

Leon knocked on the heavy steel door. Ben's face appeared on a screen nearby, he grinned when he saw them. "Come on in!" he exclaimed. The door hissed and he pulled it open. The others slid in. Leon looked at Sherry; she was pale and shivering, asleep in Claire's jacket.

"We should go" said Marvin. "Anyone know where the monitor room is?"

"Here" Ben held up a map. "This should help" Leon reviewed the sheet and nodded. He knew the route…he only hoped Claire and Joshua would be able to meet them there.

**Claire**

As they ran down the silent corridor, Claire had a sense of unease – she used her Green card to open the door. Joshua leapt into the dark room and fired, the mutated black licker was the same as the last, but it was oozing more. "Epsilon Gas" Joshua mused.

"Hm?" Claire asked, hoping for an explanation.

"Never mind" smiled Joshua. "Emetine-2 should be over there" he pointed at the large cabinet on the wall. Claire nodded; she approached the thick metal cupboard. Something thumped inside. They paused, there was another thump.

Thump…Thud…hiss…thud…hiss…Thump…hisssssssssssssssssss

"What is that?" whispered Claire.

"Something nasty" replied Joshua quietly. "I'll open the cupboard, you get ready to shoot…" he gripped the handle. Claire swallowed a sick feeling; she steadied her trembling and looked straight at Joshua. She nodded he breathed out and pulled.

The bulbous maggot burst from the cupboard, the slimy white body was turgid and spewing slime from its frame, it twisted, long grey tendrils slapped about at its face. Claire blew it away with a well aimed grenade. The writhing body burst apart, maggot chunks splattered around the room but Claire wasn't hit.

With a swallow to keep down her sickened sensation she turned to Joshua. He handed her the jar of green liquid. She looked past him to the cupboard, inside the dark, cool, damp place – there was a cracked snot green egg that had burst open, the smell of old gym socks wafted from it and the waxy strands it was held by.

"What the hell is THAT?" she murmured.

"A Lay egg" Joshua said. "I saw the paperwork…a moth injected with the T-Virus, it lays eggs rapidly and they hatch and develop quickly…they're just not very tough".

Claire shivered at the prospect of facing a gigantic moth…then she followed Joshua out of the room through a different door.

**Leon**

They moved down the passage, the sound was a squelching, slithering one… Sarah and Leon took point, they kicked open the door – and stared. The massive vine creature had developed around the central shaft core. It squelched and hissed, vines lashed the air. "Sick" Leon breathed.

"Let's go" Ben said, Marvin was carrying Sherry in his arms and Ben was taking up the back – so far only a few zombies had been seen and as such had easily been dealt with. The vines lashed out, Leon fired his shotgun and green slime spewed out against the wall as a vine recoiled. Sarah screamed as a vine wrapped around her leg – she fired at it and it let go…then the vines snatched her up.

"SARAH!" roared Marvin. Leon grabbed the girl's arm, desperately clinging as she screamed and tried to break free – but all was lost. She was dragged away with a last scream…and vanished into the darkness below. There was an explosion as her grenade stores went off.

The plant screamed and Leon covered his face, saying a short prayer to her spirit…

Shaking, Leon looked at the others, Ben was pale and Marvin was teary eyed, but the tough cop wiped his eyes and nodded at the ladder, according to the map it was a shorter route to the room. Leon nodded and in silence, each one of them mourning, they descended the ladder, gently helping a barely coherent Sherry down.

They moved along a walkway…footsteps echoed nearby, from the darkness Claire and Joshua came. "Claire!" Leon gasped. He hugged her. "We lost Sarah" he whispered. "This fucking plant…"

"The explosion?"

"Her grenades went off"

Joshua was tending to Sherry and Ben was fidgeting. Slowly, reluctantly, Leon let go of Claire and wiped his eyes. Claire patted his shoulder. They moved towards the monitor room and Claire unlocked it with her key card.

They stepped into the heavily plated room and the door sealed behind them. Claire walked over to the monitors and started them up, thousands of images clicked on. "The labs on this floor, the two above and the two below are in a bad way" Claire sighed.

Leon watched, he could see small fires, mutant Lickers fighting each other, plants encrusting rooms, zombies cannibalising each other and ugly monstrosities lumbering around. "Its chaos" laughed Joshua. "The bastards really fucked themselves over". He rubbed the back of his neck. "We have to get out of here" he said at last.

"Where's the security train?"

"There" Leon pointed to a 3D map displayed by a screen on a wall near the main console. The room flashed red under his finger. "Not far, from here we should be able to authorize it to open – so long as we don't hit the wrong buttons that'll give us full control and plenty of time". Leon watched as Claire and Joshua started working on the keys of the huge computer.

Then Leon spotted her.

Ada.

She was moving along a corridor – relatively unharmed but dishevelled. He stopped; he'd have to try the PA system… "Don't touch anything" Joshua snapped as Leon reached out a slow hand for the microphone. He looked up at the screens. "She'll be fine, but she did run off on us – her decision" he shrugged and went back to work.

Leon stared longingly at the screen and then shook his head.

**Ada**

She was going to get a sample; her employer was paying 3 million for a sample. That was if she brought back the minimum amount – that virus, a full vial of it, could pay her way into a future with golden paved streets.

She wasn't about to let it slip away.

_Sorry Leon_ she thought…and continued.

**Joshua**

The gang moved on with heavier hearts then before. Sarah's loss had been felt, like Bob's and Jim's. It was terrifying and now the fear of "Who Next?" was seeping in deeply. Joshua led them down the hallway. A Weed appeared, he fired before it could spew acid, but a second one appeared.

"Weeds!" he exclaimed. "Don't let them get close, they spit acid!" as if to demonstrate his point one of them spat at him, he vaulted backwards and fired his magnums. The monster burst and sprayed acid on its comrades before falling over twitching. Three more appeared but Claire's flame grenades, Marvin's magnum and Leon's shotgun ended them much like the first.

Carefully avoiding the acid stains the group of survivors continued down the passage, ivy lined the corridor, bursting forth from cracks and gaps in the walls. Thud.

Joshua froze.

"Did anyone here that?" he whispered.

"What?" Ben asked.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

"That!"

Everyone had been listening carefully, they heard nothing – and then the Thuds became audible. Before they could do anything Mr. X burst through the wall.

"For Fuck's sake!" groaned Joshua. The monster bashed him aside, it had ivy strewn over its body and the blank eyes were messed up now, scarred around the bones of the eye sockets…its coat was singed and dirtied – the Tyrant wasn't looking so great.

The monster lurched forwards and went straight at Sherry. Joshua swung out in front of him like an idiot; firing hopelessly… the monster swung at him and slammed him into a wall. Ben fired like a chicken but he made an effort… Sherry was in his arms at the moment so he was definitely about to die.

The hiss was inhuman. Joshua leapt through the air, eyes glowing red, he landed on the monsters back and raised his hands back, and the backs of his hands were covered in a heavy black carapace with a hiss he stabbed down with the iron hard talons that topped his fingers. Mr X grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and hurled him into a wall.

Joshua hit it with a thud but leapt up, he opened his mouth and hissed, and vampire like fangs glinted in the fluorescent light. With a snarl he charged and stabbed – repeatedly. Mr X staggered back, Joshua spun and lashed out with a kick that threw the Tyrant down the hall. Mr X stood up, Joshua ran at him again – this time Mr X grabbed the boy by the throat and violently smashed him against the walls, swinging him head first left to right and then right to left.

Joshua bit down and twisted the hand. Mr X grunted in pain and released the boy, there was steam rising from the bight mark. Joshua stabbed Mr X in the stomach, pulled back and spun slashing both his claws hands across the body before spinning back with two backhanded strikes to knock Mr X down a chute.

The massive booted feet vanished last and Joshua turned around, black veins were running out from his temples and his pupils had dilated completely…he gasped, reverting abruptly to human and collapsing.

The hall was still and silent…his knack for survival had been explained and it hung in the air like a screamed curse…suffocating and smothering all thoughts not about it.

**LEON**

Leon and Ben carried the boy between them down the hall with Marvin and Claire behind. The officer carried Sherry on his back.

Ada was still preoccupying Leon's mind – though Joshua's transformation had…frightened him beyond belief. "Here we should try and find a place to rest" Ben wheezed through smokers lungs.

"All right" Claire muttered as she pushed the button to a lab. The doors hissed open…the zombies were already dead and Ada was standing at a table, tucking test-tubes into her side pack.

"Ada!" exclaimed Leon. "What…" Ada raised her gun and fired. Ben screamed and ran out the door, Leon was caught off balance, still holding Ben, and he fell aside behind a desk. Marvin and Claire ducked with Sherry.

"Sorry Leon but Annette Birkin was right – I am an Agent and I did use John…the virus is going to make me very rich – I only wish we'd met in a different place and at a different time"

"God I hate her" muttered Claire. Marvin clutched Sherry and Joshua close and dragged them closer to the steel unit giving protection. Claire leapt up and fired, Ada shrieked as the bullets caused a computer beside her to explode into a cloud of sparks.

The agent darted for the other exit. Leon couldn't breathe but he could function and all he wanted was to catch Ada. He ran. "Stay with the Kids" Claire shouted as he felt her running behind him. She was calling his name but he didn't hear…he had to catch Ada and look into her eyes.

**BEN**

As he ran Ben tried to formulate a plan, get back to the elevator and then the train car and go back to the surface and see if he could find a car and then drive as fast as he could because he had guns, maybe contact Alyssa or something.

He entered the room, vaguely aware of the smell of rotten eggs.

Something hissed.

Ben Looked up…the walls were writhing as maggots hissed and growled…Ben looked up.

The clammy, warm body landed on his face, its huge wings flapping and its legs piercing through his facial bones…he screamed…and the maggots poured into his body like warm noodles, wriggling into his body with sharp needle heads.

He was vaguely aware of an exploding feeling in his lower body… but the things bulging and festering under his skin preoccupied him with cold death. Smothered under a mother's body…

**CLAIRE**

Ada swung around and fired. Leon dived aside, she'd been aiming at him – she hadn't seen Claire duck down a side passage. But when Ada heard the movement behind her the shock was priceless, she took the punch to the jaw and dropped her gun.

"Claire! Leon shouted. Ada kicked Claire in the stomach.

"I am going to kick your ass" Ada said.

Claire smiled and cracked her knuckles, then her neck. "Bring it on you cheap whore"

Ada punched; Claire avoided, grabbed the arm and flipped her. Ada rolled and grabbed Claire by the neck put a foot on the girl's stomach and flung her onto a walkway over the steep drop. Ada leapt on Claire and pressed her forearm across the girl's throat.

Claire's head was off the edge of the platform and she couldn't breathe properly of course…so she clapped her hands into Ada's ears, the woman shrieked and pulled back, earning a punch to the nose that knocked her backwards.

Claire had lost her backpack in the hall…she had only her fists and feet to work with. Ada rose and punched Claire to the ground – in response Claire kicked the charging woman in the stomach and vaulted to her feet.

"I'm a trained professional – you think getting up in a stylish manner scares me?" Ada sneered.

"No…but the fact I'm going to knot you like a pretzel will"

Ada kicked, Claire caught the leg on her shoulder and kicked Ada's other leg from under her and shifted her weight to put it on the leg and slam Ada harder onto the walkway. Ada swept Claire's legs from under her and tackled the girl as she tried to get up. Ada pulled her back-up gun from her leg holster.

"Not so fast" Claire grabbed Ada by the upper arms and head butted her. "That's a Glasgow Kiss – here's a Glasgow wave" she punched Ada and the gun fired, hitting a control box – the elevators nearby started to move randomly. Clare smacked Ada's arm off the low railing and forced the gun away.

"I. Really. Hate. You. But. You're. Fun. To. Punch." Punctuating each word with a punch Claire hit Ada. But the agent grabbed Claire by the neck and punched her away. Leaping to her feet Ada rushed Claire catching her with a karate kick and two swift Jabs.

"I'll show you whose fun to punch you bitch"

Claire blocked the left hook and the right kick and punched Ada. "Still you"

Ada pulled a knife from her belt and charged. Claire avoided the slash – the woman was fast but her side pack gave a slight advantaged to Claire. She grabbed the arm and smacked Ada in the head with her elbow.

Ada screamed as she fell backwards off the walkway. Claire rushed over and stared. Ada lay on an elevator that sank down into the darkness.

Claire turned and looked at Leon.

He looked away sadly as he handed her back her gun and pack.

"Let's find Ben" he said quietly. They walked in silence…following the most likely route…no intention of going too far for fear of getting lost. Claire opened the door…she fired the grenade launcher with a gasp…it was Ben's body but maggots were crawling from it. The explosions vaporized the festering zombie of their comrade. Something swooped at her from the roof.

Leon shot it with his magnum and it pirouetted in the air to land on its back, legs twitching…body spewing purple slime… "That was pathetic" Claire murmured. "Maybe if there'd been four of them or something…but that was – a bit - disappointing"

Leon nodded…a red folder caught his eye and he picked it up. "Emergency Train protocols" he read…they backed out of the infested room quickly. "We may have a way out"

_**The Emergency Train:**_

**_In case of a severe emergency employees are advised to follow the instructions of the security personnel, the train is equipped with a bio scanner that will initiate a self-destruct sequence if a BOW gets onboard during its journey. The train is not for transport of BOW's. It is a personnel train, the gate locks need to be online and as such the fuses are always given auxiliary copies on the other side of the platform. The train's driving compartment has in internal lock in the case of emergencies and the train can be stopped only from there. _**

_**The access point of the train is through elevator 45-D in the storage area**_

_**The remote activation for self-destruct and alarm protocols is to be found on the train.**_

Leon shut the folder and took out the card key. "We're getting out of here" he said.

Claire nodded as she looked over the key card. It had a black and yellow stripe across it. "We need a computer" she said as they headed back to Marvin, Joshua and Sherry.

"He's gone" Marvin exclaimed as they entered. He lowered his gun and held Sherry closer. "He just ran outta here suddenly – he looked in a bad way"

Claire sat down at the computer. "I'll use the cameras to locate him" she inserted the yellow card into the machine. "Password?"

"Nemesis" Sherry said, her face was sickly pale and there were bags under her eyes. "Nemesis is the password…" Claire typed quickly and nodded. "Thanks Sherry" she said.

"No--problem" she grunted as she clutched her stomach. Leon watched the screen – Joshua was walking through the corridor Leon recognized. "The smelting pit?" he murmured.

Claire looked at him, confused as she watched Joshua enter the smelting pit room.

"I think he's about to do something stupid!" Leon gasped.

Claire felt the same feeling of fear well up under her skin. "There's a shortcut to the room, I'll open Storage room 3 on this floor and you can use the cargo elevator to get down there"

"Okay" nodded Leon as he ran for the door. "Stay on the radio!"

"Done and done!" Marvin agreed.

Claire felt a pang of anxiety for Leon as he rushed out the door.

**_TO BE CONCLUDED_**

_**Next chapter is the last one and everything is revealed. Where did Joshua go first? Will Marvin survive? Will Sherry die? What is Joshua? What about Mr X? Is Ada still kicking? And what of Dr Birkin?**_

_**Review me!**_


	7. VII

**Resident Evil 2: Living Nightmares**

**Joshua**

Joshua grabbed the filing cabinet and pulled, he was distraught when the metal screamed and tore for him…but he was feeling more human. It dawned on him… that's what the medication was for, it helped suppress his…defect.

He stared at the pill jar for a second…staring deep into the brown depths – then he hurled it against the floor with a shout of rage. Dr Birkin's office had been thrashed already, who knows who by…too many suspects, too little time… but Joshua knew his medical file would be here.

He pulled out the shiny black folder and checked the label…Joshua Cameron West… there was a barcode beside it – a code was typed across it. Joshua sat into the high backed leather chair.

Slowly he opened the pages out.

**Project #981172 – T275**

_**The Tyrant Development Project**_

_**The aims of this project are as Follows:**_

_**To research the possibility of making young Tyrants and growing them to maturity **_

_**The possibility of age in relation to strength and powers will be investigated**_

_**The effect of the Tyrant Hormone on young humans **_

_**The first serious field test of Virus 35491 –Y**_

_**A joint project by the higher minds of the Umbrella corporation on several candidates at various ages and stages of life that will revolutionize the research into BOW creation**_

**_Carried out by: A. Wesker, E. Spencer, A. Ashford, W. Birkin, M.D. Duvall, D. Irons, K. Sarimova, H. Kaplin, H. Irons_**

Underneath was stamped: **_FAILED_**.

So that's what he was…a failed project…he knew Umbrella were depraved but their objectives were beyond Sick and Wrong they were Pure Evil. Joshua checked another page.

**_4th of July_**

_Dearest Dr Spencer_

_Congratulations on your marriage I am sorry I could not attend the ceremony however as you know Annette was there and represented my congratulations. I am most impressed that you have already been given control of an installation._

_West Valley is a small one but it is very well provided for. I am sure you will be working closely with Doctor Walker and his – selective projects. A word of warning, be careful of his unstable personality._

_I felt it necessary to write this letter to you as soon as possible, it is a matter of great import: Joshua._

_The boy fully believes his parents were scientists that died, legally he is a ward of Umbrella and his forged background stands, sadly he believes it so greatly it has given rise to typical problems teenagers experience. Rebellion and such…_

_Joshua is top of his class, this is of course natural given his genetic make up, however he has hit puberty and not only has this made his body more volatile it has done the same to his mutation. _

_This evening Annette and I took Joshua and Sherry to the picnic in the park…Joshua disappeared with the few friends he has and organized for the fireworks to go off 30 minutes early. When I went to find him I found he was with Felicity, the mayors daughter._

_The subject of procreation was never discussed – the boy seemed asexual up until he met Felicity, I've not been able to get semen samples of course, he either does not emit or is very careful at hiding it. I hoped you could propose a theory and possibly the best action for handling this._

_With Regards_

_William Birkin_

"That explains…all those times he was in my room…"Joshua murmured. He shuddered as he thought about what the man had done to get… it wasn't a nice thought.

He flipped over to another page and shivered, words leapt out at him, fading others into mindless gabble

_**The Mutation**_

**Attempt at genetic perfection **_-_** several imperfections**_- _**stronger and faster then many previous models – exoskeleton deflects small and medium arms fire – claws are extending – poison tipped – acidic chemical secretion – impressive regeneration – unsually altered sensory perception – regrettable flaw of human form – animal based adaption – combustable – acidic – excellent immunity – unusual bacteria cultured – maximum nutrition – agile – flexible – skeletal structure is warped – some traits present – unstable – tenacious and unstable – revert to human – close to ideal – pheremones – hormones- imperfect change controls – faulty obedience learning – defective personality separation noted– deficient – imperfect – lacking – unsatisfactory – imperfect – deficient– imperfect – imperfect – imperfect**

With a cry Joshua hurled the desk over. The file skittered across the floor to rest at a fallen lamp right beside his pills. Slowly Joshua calmed himself, aware of a prickling sensation in his lips and fingertips…the pain was tingling at the back of his neck… he kneeled down and picked up his pills.

"This is no way to live" he whispered. "I'm a monster" he crouched with the folder in one hand and the pill jar held to his forehead.

**LEON**

Leon recoiled, the heat in the room was worse then before – he pushed into the horrible heat and looked around. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he moved on intot he room, Joshua was staring into the churning iron like it was some sort of mirror – reflecting things that shocked him into stasis.

"JOSHUA!" Leon shouted as he advanced. Joshua looked at Leon and took a step towards the end.

"Go away Leon" Joshua exclaimed. "Turn around – you have to help Sherry and Claire and Marvin escape!"

"You're coming too" Leon said, he'd been trained to deal with suicidal people, don't try and force them or they'd go the other way. "We need your help"

"No you don't!" scoffed Joshua. "I can't help anyone!"

"We want you with us"

"Think about it this way: how long before I run out of my meds and start killing people left, right and centre?"

"Joshua, that's not an issue, we'll find help – whatever they did to you – we can find more medicine, maybe even some way to turn you back!"

Joshua's eyes were tearing, shimmering gold in the light of the pit. "I wish I could believe you…just go with you and live happily ever after" Leon stepped forwards and reached for Joshua's shoulder…the boy spun around and slammed a palm into Leon's chest, knocking the officer back with inhuman strength. "I just couldn't live with myself!" he growled in a not-quite-human voice.

Leon pulled himself up…as the floor shuddered. There was a crash and the wall exploded inwards. Mr. X strode forwards – his body caked in dirt, slime, vines and covered in ash and dust. "I come on" Leon growled. He fired his shotgun at the monster but the effect was far from ideal, the monster swayed back a little and kept walking.

Joshua pulled out his pistols and fired. The Monster wasn't interested in them – it was looking for something else. It grabbed Joshua by the head and slung him into Leon like he was a paper cut out.

It walked onwards…it's feet were on the verge of crushing Leon and Joshua when the shots rang out, knocking the monster off balance and forcing it to turn 90 degrees. Ada was standing at the other end of the walkway, her gun drawn. She was bruised and bloodied…but looking pissed off.

A strange shocked relief filled Leon as he saw her fire…it quickly turned to terror as the monster advanced and lifted her up by the throat. She fired into it's face, yellow puss and dark brown-red blood bubbled out of its face, it hurled her into a control panel, she screamed in pain and collapsed.

"ADA!" Leon screamed as he rushed to her side, cradling her in his arms.

"Another time…another place" Ada whispered. "And I might have cared for you like a should have – Leon…I'm…sorry" she gasped, a trickle of blood from her hairline snaking down her cheek. "So – so – sorry…I guess…someone else loved you more and I – I – I was the runner up."

"Ada…Ada I love -"

"Don't" whispered Ada, touching a finger to his lips…she placed her mouth to his for a brief, chaste kiss. "There's never room for two in love when it's destined – my mother used to say…I always believed – ugh – I hope you find who that other person is…the person that won the fight of fate…for you – because – if they feel stronger for you than I did…they are worth seeking"

Her body went limp as she gave a small gurgle from her throat. Her arm flopped down and she stared into space. Leon closed her eyes, sniffeling not willing to cry just yet.

He looked up – Mr. X was almost upon him… "I don't care" he croaked. The man shaped monster stared down, dark eyes staring into blank ones, pitiless white eyes that had no true soul or mind behind them… Leon stared back – wondering if there ever had been a mind there…

**JOSHUA**

Joshua charged, he felt it, something bubbling up his spine, trying to take over, a black ink of darkness that was clawing at his soul, trying to make him succumb, taunting him with athletic medals and good grades achieved because of it.

The black claws slid from his finger tips…he roared, leapt and struck…

Mr.X went shooting backwards, away from Leon and Ada. Mr.X raised his heavy fists and advanced…with boneless agility Joshua flipped forwards, a blue stripe forming across his face... his eyes burned a bizarre colour, dilating to pitch black…with a hissing cry he slashed down and then flipped back, knocking Mr.X backwards.

Mr. X was strong – very, very, very strong, he hit Joshua with enough force to send the boy down to his knees violently…

**LEON**

Leon grabbed the Shotgun. "Joshua! DOWN!" he fired…Mr. X staggered backwards, it reached its hand out towards Ada. Leon grabbed the side pack and snapped it open… the vials taunted him with Ada's life. He pulled one out and thought about Sherry. Then he hurled the satchel.

**MR. X**

Target…moving…grab it… achievement…human…gun…pain…heat – not – possible – failure?

**LEON**

Leon stared at the monster as the shotgun shells knocked it backwards into the smelting pit. For a moment it teetered on the edge, confusion in the blank eyes apparently. Then it tipped over and fell into the amber metal.

Leon slowly pulled away from Ada. Joshua was crunching tablets, he was wretching but lacked anything to vomit – his breathing was erratic and he was shivering. Leon helped Joshua to his feet, the boys frame was wracked with fear it's lean muscle shifting and spasming with agony.

"Let's go" Leon said. "Sherry's safe" he held up the vial.

Joshua gave a weak smile…overhead the control stem exploded in one part, then in another like mushrooms on a tree, spreading out and in all directions… a curtain of flame rose up between Leon and Ada's body…he backed away and followed Joshua out.

**MR X**

…pain…hurt…find…kill…

**CLAIRE**

"LEON!" Claire launched herself at the cop as he came in the door. "We lost visual on the smelting room…what happened?"

"Ada died…trying to help us…" Leon shook his head. "We killed the trench coat man"

Claire could see he was trying to make a positive note but his voice betrayed how he really felt… distraught, disturbed and despairing.

"Marvin and I are heading to the vaccine lab…maybe we can find-"

Claire stopped. Leon held out the vial. "I took it for Sherry" he said slowly. "Joshua and I will get her to the train" he looked at the teenager who was taking Sherry from Marvin. "We'll survive – you see to it Sherry does…"

Joshua nodded and Claire embraced Leon, kissing him on the cheek for good luck. "Don't die on me" she whispered.

"Guys…problem" breathed Marvin. A red light was flashing on the wall – a siren was coming on from the distance, getting closer and closer.

"Self destruct initiated, reactor severely compromised – self destruct in 30 minutes all personell please evacuate" the androgynous female voice reported.

"Well shit" Marvin groaned he and Claire sprinted from the room.

**JOSHUA**

Joshua clutched his foster sister to his chest, his limbs were on fire and he felt like crap warmed over and vomited on…but he followed Leon. His pistols were out of ammo so Leon was the only armed one.

"Joshua…it hurts" whimpered Sherry.

Leon used a keycard to open the doors of the control room and blasted away every zombie inside.

"It's okay Sherry, we'll be fine" whispered Joshua.

"The computer's not accepting out card" Leon shouted, frantically hitting buttons on the control panel. "It won't unlock the train!"

"Here" Sherry said weakly, she handed the black card to Leon, her hand sweaty and trembling. "The master card, beats all of them"

"Thanks Sherry" Leon said. "Stay strong"

"I'll try" she whimpered, clutching her stomach.

**MARVIN**

The blackened licker fell into a heap, seeping black and red fluid all over the floor. Claire opened the doors with the key card and entered the lab, the sterilization room smelt of disinfectant – the rest of the lab was of death and blood.

Bullet holes peppered a desk and the glass around it was shattered and crushed into a pool of blood and chemicals.

Claire was efficient she followed Annette's notes perfectly. Marvin could see her tense under her biking gear…there was no room for error – not with Sherry's life in the balance.

"I thought I'd die back in the police station" Marvin said abruptly. "Those things…were everywhere – and there was worse then just zombies…we've made it this far…" Claire was looking at him carefully. "We've lost friends but – we can make it out…and expose Umbrella"

"My brother will know what to do – if I find him"

"The STARS team went to Europe…think you'll find him?"

"I'll search every Umbrella office until I do" Claire said, the determination in her voice was stronger then iron, it impressed Marvin beyond belief. The room was silent, heavy with things unsaid only to be broken by the hiss of the machine as it released three vials of green liquid.

Marvin grabbed an injector gun. "Ready?" he asked as he handed it to Claire who tucked it into her medicine bag.

"Yeah – let's go we've got less then 20 minutes left" Marvin said as the voice continued reminding them of the impending explosion. He and Claire sprinted down a hall towards the elevators that would descend to the area connected to the train via a storage area.

So complicated, Marvin thought as he and Claire stepped into the elevator.

**LEON**

The train passage was clear and once Joshua had settled Sherry in the lead car he looked over at Leon. "The train needs to be turned on, the power source has to be connected up, a security precaution, you can use the key card to unlock the extra fuses across the platform if you need to"

Leon nodded. "I'll just be a second. Keep an eye on her…"

"What else would I be doing?" Joshua smiled sadly.

Leon nodded and headed down the platform, his worst fears were confirmed when the bars covering the fuse box pulled away to reveal smouldering, blackened fuses.

"Damn" he growled as he headed for the overpass. Retrieving the fuses was no problem for him, he took them back with a grim determination…slotting them in he inserted the card key and turned the switch. The lights crackled and shadows recoiled as the train hissed and lights flickered on in it.

The bellow was disturbing, a gargle that could not be truly human, the smell of burning plastic hit Leon…standing before him stood the blackened, flaming, spiked shape of a creature with the face of Mr. X.

"Son of a bitch you're hard to kill" whispered Leon.

The monster reached out with a claw…and slashed swiftly. Leon threw himself backwards as the burning talon slid by, cutting the air with a hiss. Leon rolled and emptied his pistol into the monsters chest…to no avail.

The charred monster batted Leon across the face with the back of it's claw and knocked him down the platform.

Leon scrambled to his feet and fired his shotgun into it's head, black blood splattered out in a burst like a fireworks display but the monster merely continued walking, a grey skull peaking out through the butchered flesh.

It grabbed Leon by the throat and hurled him into a wall.

**CLAIRE**

The store room was filled with vats on racks…it was cold and echoed horrible emptiness with every footstep she and Marvin took. Instinctively Claire loaded her grenade launcher…something felt wrong.

There was a roar and the bladed man dropped down.

"Birkin!" Claire exclaimed, the elevator was still below, lighting up slowly as it approached. "How long have we got?" she said with a grim quietness.

"17 minutes"

"That's 16 minutes more then I need to blow it's brains out six times over" Claire said. She fired the grenade at Birkin's eyeball. There was a wet sounding explosion and puss splattered the surrounding area.

Birkin toppled backwards, gouts of ooze splashing out of his body as he spasmed.

"It's finally over" Marvin whispered.

Birkin reared up, body shifting, twisting, his chest bursting open and legs bulging – the dog like beast took his place all signs of humanity long gone. Claire fired her launcher but the monster simply charged, shaking off the attacks. Marvin shoved Claire aside and dived away as the monster smashed into the elevator doors, denting them with its mouthful of spears.

Marvin fired his Sub machine gun. "Die you BASTARD" he roared.

The monster lurched forwards, its blades pierced Marvin's body like he was made of melted butter, Marvin gargled as he was slammed into the ground, thousands of javelins tearing his flesh, the monster shook, ripping skin off bone like it was wrapping paper, mincing him into a bloody mess of organs.

"Marvin…"Calire whispered. She opened her bag and pulled out the grenades…shetook the side pack of explosives and tossed her bad down in front of the elevator. With a careful run she leapt onto a crate and then onto the back of the monster, it's leathery back providing a wide landing space.

"Just…die" she spat as she pulled a pin on a grenade and jammed the pack into the spiked main of the monster along its flat spine.

Hurling herself away Claire prayed this would work.

The creature once called Birkin growled and approached…it stopped as if realizing what was about to happen. The explosion burst its head like a balloon, the brain tissue and skull fragments pelted the walls in all directions, leaking brain fluid and blood the body crashed down, most of it's spine was gone and a mound of grey was still floating in the front part of the skull…

The smell of death made Claire want to vomit, but she swallowed that wish as the elevator arrived, she picked up her bag and looked at Marvin's body…he was cut into ribbons, pieces of his torso were dripping from a railing…

"You nearly made it Marvin – I owe you my life" Claire said, wiping tears from her eyes, berating herself for crying. "Umbrella will go down…I promise…"

Claire let out a breath and leaned back against the rail of the elevator. She had about 6 minutes left…she needed to pace herself. She checked her Colt as the doors opened and raised it… she ran down the passage, shooting the festering zombies that got in her way. The vaccine was in her bag…she was going to save Sherry

God help ANYTHING that got in her way.

**LEON**

The pipe skittered across the floor to Leon's finger tips. It was a rocket launcher. The sheer shock forced him to look up, seeking some angel of mercy…all he saw was a fleeting shadow on the overpass.

"ADA?" he shouted. But the shadows didn't move.

Leon shook himself off and turned his attention to the approaching monster.

"This is for everyone who died…because of monsters like you" hissed Leon. The blast hit the monster and a plume of flame and smoke rose up into the air, time slowed as the dense cloud covered out the monster…Leon couldn't breathe, he had to know if the thing was dead.

The legs stepped forwards, sharp nailed toes scraping on the charred platform tiles. Leon raised his gun… and lowered it.

The thick oozing black spine in the smouldering remaints of the lower limbs ended abruptly. The body stepped forwards and crashed to the ground…a claw had landed on the side of the platform and part of the skull was slipping down the other wall.

"Ada?" whispered Leon, looking to the overpass but seeing nothing.

"LEON!" Joshua cried. Leon turned and ran to Joshua and Sherry in the lead car. "She's gotten worse!" Sherry was thrashing and making choked noises, her eyes blank and dark. "Damn it! CLAIRE!" Joshua cried.

"Someone call?" Claire was sprinting towards the train…it had begun to move. Leon reached out.

"Grab on!" Leon shouted.

Claire pushed herself and Leon could see her crushing her tiredness to pump her limbs to all their ability. She leapt and grabbed his hand, he dragged her in seconds before a girder flashed past.

"Here" Claire said as she removed the injector gun from her bag. "I have two more if she needs them…"

"Maybe…I don't know…" whispered Joshua as he took the gun. "It should be enough – just one, it's meant to be fast acting…Jesus…I hope it is" he pressed the gun to Sherry's neck and pulled the trigger

The wicked hiss went off and the liquid vanished into the girl.

Immediately she stopped seizing and in a few moments the twitching in her fingers that had lingered was gone. Joshua clutched her hand.

She groaned and sat up, very slowly. "That hurt" she mumbled. "I feel really…terrible but…better then before"

Joshua gave a cry of joy and Leon and Claire hugged the girl and boy… Leon laughed. "We've made it" he said.

"Careful…that'll jinx it" smiled Joshua.

The violent lurch knocked Leon and Claire off Joshua and Sherry. "What was that?" Sherry shouted.

"I don't know…" whispered Leon.

"Biohazard on board – detection verifies a massive bio mass that cannot be moved. Train will self-destructed in 10 minutes"

"Why the FUCK do they have self-destructs on EVERYTHING" Joshua exclaimed.

"Leave it to me" Leon said. "It's probably a licker or something"

Joshua grabbed a Spark Shot from the wall rack and stuffed some rounds for his pistols into his side pack. "I'm coming too" he said firmly.

"We need to stop the train" Claire exclaimed.

"You work on that" Leon said, his heart hammering in his ears as he and Joshua walked through the back door. "We'll go have a look around."

**CLAIRE**

The door didn't move, Claire slapped the button beside it and tried the handle again. "It's locked – damn it!"

Sherry moved to the door and then kneeled beside it. "Here's a vent – I can squeeze through" she exclaimed as she pulled the metal aside and slipped in easily.

"Wait! Don't!" Claire exclaimed. Sherry was already in the driving room. Claire beat on the door. "Sherry open the door!"

"I can't, it's locked by a computer" Sherry replied. "But if I turn on the brakes the door will open…I hope."

**JOSHUA**

The creature was a mess of cellular jelly, bone shards and a warped monster face.

"Jesus…Dr Birkin?" Joshua whispered. "Have to say…you really aren't looking your best". Swiftly he fired the spark shot at a tentacle that swiped the air at him… it recoiled and the monster gave a guttural moan of rage, somehow making a sound through the gel it was made of

Leon fired at the monster but it simply absorbed the bullets. It spewed out a blast of puss. Joshu shoved Leon acide and felt the slime hit him. He could feel the lukewarm gel on his body letting bacterial mutations slide into his body

He felt good. Really good.

"Y'know doc…I figured out why you always used a HAZMAT bin for me when I used to vomit…" Joshua said. He opened his mouth and a cloud of gaseous-liquid slime burst forth, the dark green projection hit the monster, clotting it's body. Not killing it but…stunning it.

Leon stood up. He hurled the petrol canister down the car as the monster pulled it's way towards them, slower now… "Burn in hell" Leon whispered as he kneeled down with his lighter and let the flame touch the liquid.

The fire whipped up in a dance and spread forth, hitting the monster and raising an amber aura around. Leon dragged Joshua back…away from the hypnotic sight of the jel bubbling and frothing, congealing and then melting like wax depending on where you looked.

For a moment he felt a pang as the man who'd raised and tended to him cried out – for a moment in a human voice. Flashes of good times ran through Joshua's mind, of days and nights spent in the labs and the doctors room or study discovering things and disproving theories people held close, of Annette and Sherry bringing Joshua to school, of his soccer games and swim meets and…family junk.

He watched the door shut.

"Rest in Peace" he said slowly.

**SHERRY**

Her body ached but it was an ebbing pain that was growing weaker and weaker by the moment. She glanced around, the flashing button had to be it, quickly she pushed down on it, the power shut fown and the emergency brakes locked down.

"Now for the auxillary breaking" she said quietly as she pulled the lever back. The scream of metal on metal rang out through the tunnel, behind her the door hissed open.

"Sherry!" Claire breathed a sigh of relief and Sherry gave a thumbs up.

"Just call me a master of Vent Fu" she smiled.

"Let's go" Claire said as they ran to the side door and wrenched it open. Joshua and Leon were there, gravel crunching under foot.

"We've got 3 minutes" Leon shouted. "MOVE!"

"Deal – go!" Claire said, holding Sherry's hand tight and running. Sherry forced her body to push its weary self onwards, she was determined not to die and that pumped adrenaline into her body.

There was a roar, long tentacles extended from the sides of the train.

"5 – 4 – 3- 2- 1"

The explosion sent a wave of heat shooting after the escaping survivors. "RUN!" Claire screamed as they raced towards the gap of light, away from the cloud of flame spewing towards them. Sherry's throat was dry, they were so close. Claire grabbed Sherry into her arms, holding her tight and diving, they rolled in the grass, Leon was on top of Joshua who slithered out and covered Leon instead - the flames burst into the air behind them...heat of unimaginable levels filled the air.

"There you have it" Joshua said at last as he stood uo, the back of his jacket was singed badly but he was all right. "Is it over now?"

"No" Claire said. "We have to find Chris and the STARS members...and get the secret of Umbrella out into the world before it's too late...

"Then let's get to it" Leon smiled. "Today is a new day and the best time to start"

"Maybe find out things we need to know" Joshua said quietly. He smiled. "I am starving!"

"Tell me about it" Leon laughed, hooking an arm around his shoulders as his stomach growled. The sombre atmosphere remained as they headed into the sunset

**THE END...of this chapter...**

_Well, that's my rewrite done, I decided to kill Marvin because he's best remembered for fighting to the bitter end and I really admired that, but I wanted him to make a mark in the story before he bowed out, I hope I did okay... I have another story ready to go which will bring in Billy and Joshua in a small town that's been polluted by a virus outbreak. Joshua gets closer to his past and we find out what Sherry, Claire and Leon do next (which will lead to my rewrite of Code Veronica! There... I said it...)_


End file.
